Irrigation Agronomy and Water Management MCQs 2026

Net irrigation requirement excludes:

1. Aapplication and conveyance losses✓
2. Bcrop water demand✓
3. Ceffective rainfall adjustment✓
4. Droot-zone storage use✓

The IW/CPE approach schedules irrigation based on a ratio of irrigation water depth to:

1. Acumulative pan evaporation✓
2. Bsoil pH✓
3. Cseed rate✓
4. Dcanal command area✓

Sandy soils usually require irrigation at:

1. Ashorter intervals with smaller depths✓
2. Blonger intervals with larger depths only✓
3. Cno interval because they store all water✓
4. Dthe same interval as clay in all climates✓

Crop Water Stress Index is used to indicate:

1. Aseed dormancy✓
2. Bcanal seepage only✓
3. Cplant water deficit or stress✓
4. Dfertilizer solubility✓

Mulching can reduce irrigation requirement by:

1. Ablocking infiltration completely✓
2. Breducing soil evaporation and moderating temperature✓
3. Cincreasing evaporation from soil✓
4. Draising salinity of irrigation water✓

Pressurized irrigation systems require:

1. Aadequate pressure and energy for distribution✓
2. Bno energy or pressure at all✓
3. Conly gravity flow in open canals✓
4. Dcontinuous waterlogging✓

Water productivity is best defined as:

1. Acrop output per unit of water depleted or used✓
2. Bcanal width per hectare✓
3. Cfertilizer dose per irrigation✓
4. Dplant height per day only✓

Infiltration rate is the rate at which water:

1. Amoves through canals only✓
2. Bis transpired by plants✓
3. Centers the soil surface✓
4. Devaporates from leaves✓

Soil texture affects irrigation scheduling because it influences:

1. Amarket price only✓
2. Bwater-holding capacity and infiltration rate✓
3. Cleaf color only✓
4. Dseed purity only✓

Alternate wetting and drying is a water-saving practice mainly used in:

1. Arice production✓
2. Bcotton under furrows✓
3. Crainfed chickpea only✓
4. Dorchard pruning✓

Laser land leveling is valued because it:

1. Aimproves field grade and water distribution✓
2. Bincreases uneven ponding✓
3. Cprevents all evapotranspiration✓
4. Dremoves the need for irrigation scheduling✓

Tailwater runoff is the water that:

1. Amoves upward by capillarity✓
2. Bis stored in seed bags✓
3. Cleaves the downstream end of an irrigated field✓
4. Denters soil pores at field capacity✓

Basin irrigation is especially common for:

1. Asprinkler laterals only✓
2. Borchards and level small plots✓
3. Csteep uncultivated hill slopes✓
4. Ddry seed storage rooms✓

Gross irrigation requirement is greater than net requirement because it includes:

1. Alosses and efficiencies in application or conveyance✓
2. Bonly seed moisture✓
3. Conly crop coefficient✓
4. Donly wilting point✓

Agricultural drainage is provided mainly to:

1. Akeep the water table at the soil surface✓
2. Bstop leaching of salts completely✓
3. Cremove excess water from the root zone✓
4. Dincrease waterlogging✓

Rotational irrigation in a command area means:

1. Awater is supplied without schedule✓
2. Bwater turns are allocated according to a schedule✓
3. Cevery farmer irrigates at the same time✓
4. Donly groundwater is used✓

Night irrigation can save water in hot areas mainly by reducing:

1. Aevaporative loss during application✓
2. Bsoil fertility✓
3. Croot growth✓
4. Dfield capacity✓

Proper land leveling improves irrigation mainly by:

1. Aimproving water distribution uniformity✓
2. Bincreasing high spots and depressions✓
3. Creducing germination uniformly✓
4. Dincreasing runoff losses necessarily✓

Puddling in rice fields mainly helps to:

1. Amake soil highly permeable✓
2. Bremove all standing water✓
3. Creduce percolation losses and control weeds✓
4. Dincrease deep percolation rapidly✓

The crop coefficient Kc relates crop evapotranspiration to:

1. Afertilizer dose only✓
2. Breference evapotranspiration✓
3. Ccanal seepage loss only✓
4. Dsoil bulk density only✓

Pan evaporation data are commonly used to estimate:

1. Acrop evapotranspiration for irrigation scheduling✓
2. Bsoil texture class directly✓
3. Cseed viability✓
4. Dsodium percentage in fertilizer✓

Effective rainfall is the portion of rainfall that:

1. Acontributes to meeting crop water requirement✓
2. Bfalls outside the command area✓
3. Cis lost entirely as runoff✓
4. Doccurs after harvest only✓

Micro-irrigation includes:

1. Aonly check basin irrigation✓
2. Bonly border irrigation✓
3. Cdrip and micro-sprinkler systems✓
4. Donly wild flooding✓

Surge irrigation is a furrow technique in which water is:

1. Aapplied only through sprinklers✓
2. Bapplied intermittently in repeated on-off cycles✓
3. Ckept ponded throughout the season✓
4. Dnever allowed to enter furrows✓

Conjunctive use refers to the planned use of:

1. Asurface water and groundwater together✓
2. Bfertilizer and pesticide only✓
3. Cseed and machinery together✓
4. Drainfall and sunlight only✓

The sodium hazard of irrigation water is indicated by:

1. Asodium adsorption ratio✓
2. Bcrop coefficient only✓
3. Cpermanent wilting point✓
4. Dpan size✓

The salinity hazard of irrigation water is commonly assessed by:

1. Asoil bulk density✓
2. Bleaf area index✓
3. Celectrical conductivity✓
4. Dseed germination percentage✓

Sprinkler irrigation is less suitable under high wind because wind:

1. Aeliminates evaporation✓
2. Bcauses drift and poor distribution uniformity✓
3. Craises field capacity✓
4. Dincreases droplet infiltration uniformly✓

A tensiometer is used to measure:

1. Asoil water tension✓
2. Bcanal discharge only✓
3. Cfertilizer purity✓
4. Dcrop leaf area index only✓

Capillary rise is the:

1. Aupward movement of water from a shallow water table✓
2. Bloss of water through canal breaches✓
3. Cdownward movement only below roots✓
4. Dmeasurement of sprinkler pressure✓

Deficit irrigation means:

1. Airrigating only after harvest✓
2. Bflooding the field continuously✓
3. Capplying less than full crop water requirement in a planned manner✓
4. Dapplying unlimited water at all stages✓

Rice generally has a high water requirement partly because of:

1. Ano transpiration from the crop✓
2. Bpuddling and maintenance of standing water in many systems✓
3. Czero percolation losses in all soils✓
4. Dabsence of evaporation from fields✓

For wheat, the crown root initiation stage is important because irrigation then:

1. Apromotes root establishment and tillering✓
2. Bstops tillering permanently✓
3. Cprevents grain filling entirely✓
4. Deliminates fertilizer need✓

Critical stages of irrigation are stages when crop yield is:

1. Amost sensitive to water stress✓
2. Bunaffected by moisture supply✓
3. Cdetermined only by seed size✓
4. Dindependent of transpiration✓

Border irrigation is generally best suited to:

1. Awidely spaced orchard basins only✓
2. Brocky slopes without leveling✓
3. Cclose-growing crops on properly leveled land✓
4. Dvery irregular steep fields✓

Irrigation efficiency is the ratio of:

1. Acanal length to command area✓
2. Bwater beneficially used to water applied✓
3. Crainfall to fertilizer applied✓
4. Dseed yield to plant population✓

Canal lining improves irrigation water management mainly by reducing:

1. Aseepage and conveyance losses✓
2. Bcrop transpiration✓
3. Cseed dormancy✓
4. Dfield capacity✓

Leaching requirement is the extra irrigation water needed to:

1. Aremove salts below the root zone✓
2. Bincrease soil compaction✓
3. Craise sodium adsorption ratio✓
4. Dstop all evapotranspiration✓

Waterlogging harms crops mainly because it:

1. Aalways improves nitrogen fixation✓
2. Beliminates soil salinity✓
3. Creduces root-zone aeration✓
4. Dincreases oxygen supply to roots✓

Sprinkler irrigation applies water by:

1. Aopen field channels only✓
2. Bspraying water into the air to resemble rainfall✓
3. Ccontinuous deep ponding✓
4. Dsubsurface drainage pipes only✓

Crop water-use efficiency is commonly expressed as:

1. Acrop yield per unit of water used✓
2. Bsoil pH per hectare✓
3. Ccanal length per command area✓
4. Dseed weight per plant only✓

A sound irrigation schedule is commonly based on:

1. Aallowable depletion of available soil moisture✓
2. Bcalendar dates only without soil or crop data✓
3. Cseed color at sowing✓
4. Dcanal name only✓

Furrow irrigation is most suitable for:

1. Alawns under high wind✓
2. Bvery steep ungraded land✓
3. Crow crops such as maize, cotton and vegetables✓
4. Dclosely spaced broadcast rice only✓

Available soil water is approximately the difference between:

1. Arainfall and evaporation only✓
2. Bfield capacity and permanent wilting point✓
3. Csaturation and runoff✓
4. Dcanal duty and base period✓

Permanent wilting point is reached when plants:

1. Acannot regain turgor even in a humid atmosphere✓
2. Bgrow at maximum rate✓
3. Ctranspire at potential rate✓
4. Dreceive their first irrigation✓

Among common irrigation methods, the highest field water-use efficiency is generally obtained with:

1. Aborder flooding✓
2. Buncontrolled basin irrigation✓
3. Cdrip irrigation✓
4. Dwild flooding✓

Delta of a crop refers to the:

1. Arate of infiltration per hour✓
2. Btotal depth of water required by the crop✓
3. Cirrigation interval in days✓
4. Damount of fertilizer dissolved in water✓

In irrigation terminology, duty means the:

1. Aarea irrigated by a unit discharge during the base period✓
2. Bdepth of water stored in soil pores✓
3. Csalt content of irrigation water✓
4. Dspeed of water flowing in a furrow✓

Consumptive use of water by a crop is essentially:

1. Aevapotranspiration from crop and soil✓
2. Bwater lost only by deep percolation✓
3. Ccanal seepage before the field✓
4. Drainfall outside the growing season✓

Waterlogging occurs when

1. Athe water table rises into the root zone✓
2. Bsoil is permanently dry✓
3. CEC is zero✓
4. DOM is high only✓

Delta of a crop refers to

1. Asoil texture class✓
2. BEC of groundwater only✓
3. Ctotal depth of water required by the crop✓
4. Dcanal length✓

The Indus Basin Irrigation System is one of the world's

1. Asmallest farm ponds✓
2. Bonly rainfed systems✓
3. Cexclusive drip-only national grid✓
4. Dlargest contiguous irrigation networks✓

Warabandi is a system of

1. Afertilizer rationing only✓
2. Bseed certification✓
3. Crotational turns for canal water distribution among farmers✓
4. Dlivestock vaccination✓

A mogha is

1. Aa type of fertilizer✓
2. Ba wheat variety✓
3. Ca tractor implement✓
4. Dan outlet delivering water from a canal to a watercourse✓

Conveyance losses in earthen canals occur mainly by

1. Aseepage and evaporation✓
2. Bphotosynthesis✓
3. Cnitrogen fixation✓
4. Dwind pollination✓

On-farm water application in Pakistan is still dominated by

1. Aonly drip nationwide✓
2. Bonly center pivots everywhere✓
3. Conly subsurface irrigation✓
4. Dbasin/flood irrigation✓

Water-use efficiency can be improved by

1. Aover-irrigation every day✓
2. Bblocking all drains✓
3. Craising water tables deliberately✓
4. Dlaser land leveling and better scheduling✓

Drip irrigation is especially suitable for

1. Aflooding rice paddies exclusively✓
2. Bleaching salts without any emitter design✓
3. Corchards and high-value crops with precise water delivery✓
4. Donly forest firefighting✓

Sprinkler irrigation applies water

1. Aas spray over the canopy/soil surface✓
2. Bonly underground via tiles✓
3. Conly as flood in borders✓
4. Donly as steam✓

Field application efficiency is the ratio of

1. Arainfall to GDP✓
2. Bfertilizer to yield only✓
3. Cseepage to evaporation only✓
4. Dwater stored in the root zone to water delivered to the field✓

Duty of water in irrigation engineering relates to

1. Afertilizer bag weight✓
2. Bseed rate✓
3. Carea irrigated by a unit discharge✓
4. Dtractor HP✓

A major cause of waterlogging in Indus irrigated areas is

1. Acomplete absence of canals✓
2. Bdesert dunes only✓
3. Ccanal seepage and over-irrigation without drainage✓
4. Dmountain glaciers covering fields✓

Salinity in irrigated soils builds up when

1. Arainfall always flushes perfectly✓
2. Bplants consume all salts✓
3. Cfertilizers contain no nutrients✓
4. Devaporation leaves salts behind and leaching/drainage are inadequate✓

Secondary salinization is associated with

1. Aonly ocean spray on mountains✓
2. Birrigation in arid climates with poor drainage✓
3. Conly organic farming✓
4. Drainforest leaching✓

SCARP projects in Pakistan aimed to

1. Aban all irrigation✓
2. Bcontrol waterlogging and salinity through drainage and tube wells✓
3. Cincrease water tables✓
4. Dremove all crops✓

Horizontal drainage systems include

1. Atile/pipe drains and open drains✓
2. Bonly cloud seeding✓
3. Conly fog nets✓
4. Donly mulching✓

Vertical drainage in SCARP context often meant

1. Abuilding taller bunds only✓
2. Btube wells pumping to lower water tables✓
3. Cplanting only rice✓
4. Dsealing moghas✓

Leaching requirement is the

1. Aminimum seed rate✓
2. Bextra water needed to flush salts below the root zone✓
3. CN fertilizer dose✓
4. Dtractor fuel use✓

Irrigation water with high EC is

1. Aalways perfectly safe✓
2. Bpure distilled water✓
3. Csaline and may reduce crop yields✓
4. Dfree of all ions✓

RSC (residual sodium carbonate) indicates

1. Aonly nitrate pollution✓
2. Bonly BOD✓
3. Calkalinity/sodicity hazard of irrigation water✓
4. Donly turbidity✓

Conjunctive use means

1. Ausing only rainfall✓
2. Bbanning tube wells✓
3. Ccombined use of surface and groundwater✓
4. Dcanal water only forever✓

Over-pumping of fresh groundwater can cause

1. Arising aquifers always✓
2. Bimproved soil structure automatically✓
3. Cend of salinity✓
4. Ddeclining water tables and intrusion of saline water✓

Skimming wells are designed to

1. Aextract only brine✓
2. Birrigate with seawater directly✓
3. Cdeepen salinity✓
4. Dpump relatively fresh water from thin lenses above saline groundwater✓

Laser land leveling helps irrigation by

1. Aincreasing undulations✓
2. Bblocking furrows✓
3. Craising bunds randomly✓
4. Dimproving surface uniformity and reducing water use✓

Furrow irrigation is often preferred over flat basin for

1. Arow crops to improve aeration and reduce some disease✓
2. Bflooding entire orchards only✓
3. Crice puddling exclusively✓
4. Dsubmerging wheat permanently✓

Alternate furrow irrigation can

1. Aalways double water use✓
2. Bsave water while maintaining acceptable yields in some crops✓
3. Celiminate all ET✓
4. Dreplace rainfall✓

Critical growth stages for irrigation are times when

1. Acrops need no water✓
2. Bwater stress causes large yield losses✓
3. Cdormant seeds store dry✓
4. Dharvest is complete✓

Rice cultivation typically requires

1. Adesert dryland only✓
2. Bstanding water or saturated soil for much of the season in flooded systems✓
3. Czero water after transplanting✓
4. Donly sprinkler without puddling always✓

AWD (alternate wetting and drying) in rice aims to

1. Areduce water use without major yield loss✓
2. Bkeep continuous deep flooding always✓
3. Celiminate irrigation✓
4. Dgrow rice as a desert cactus✓

Water productivity means

1. Acrop output per unit of water consumed or applied✓
2. Bliters per tractor hour only✓
3. Conly canal length✓
4. Dfertilizer per acre only✓

Seepage from unlined watercourses contributes to

1. Aincreased soil OM automatically✓
2. Bwaterlogging in adjoining lands✓
3. Clower water tables always✓
4. Dperfect drainage✓

OFWM (On Farm Water Management) programs promote

1. Awatercourse improvement, precision land leveling and HEIS✓
2. Babandoning all canals✓
3. Cbanning farmer organizations✓
4. Dending extension✓

High efficiency irrigation systems (HEIS) include

1. Adrip and sprinkler systems✓
2. Bonly warabandi paperwork✓
3. Conly mogha enlargement without design✓
4. Donly flood basins✓

Soil salinity can be diagnosed in the field by

1. Awhite salt crusts, poor germination and high EC readings✓
2. Bdeep green lush growth always✓
3. Clow EC always✓
4. Dhigh OM alone✓

Reclamation of saline soils typically requires

1. Aadding more common salt✓
2. Bleaching with adequate drainage✓
3. Csealing the profile✓
4. Dstopping all water movement✓

Biosaline agriculture uses

1. Aonly freshwater rice everywhere✓
2. Bbanning halophytes✓
3. Cignoring EC✓
4. Dsalt-tolerant crops/forages on saline lands✓

Irrigation scheduling can be based on

1. Aonly calendar guesswork forever✓
2. Bsoil moisture, ET estimates and crop stage✓
3. Cignoring weather✓
4. Drandom flooding✓

Pan evaporation data help estimate

1. Areference evaporative demand for irrigation planning✓
2. Bsoil N content✓
3. Cseed purity✓
4. Dcotton lint %✓

Command area of a canal is the

1. Aonly the dam reservoir surface✓
2. Bonly the river catchment abroad✓
3. Cfertilizer factory yard✓
4. Darea designed to be irrigated by that canal system✓

Tail-end farmers on watercourses often suffer

1. Aexcess water always✓
2. Bperfect equity always✓
3. Cunreliable and inadequate water supply✓
4. Dzero conveyance loss benefit issues✓

Lining of canals and watercourses reduces

1. Acrop ET demand to zero✓
2. Brainfall✓
3. Cseepage losses✓
4. Dphotosynthesis✓

Groundwater quality in parts of the Indus basin is

1. Auniformly distilled water✓
2. Balways rainwater quality✓
3. Cfree of all dissolved solids✓
4. Dhighly variable, with extensive saline zones✓

Using marginal quality water safely may require

1. Acyclic/blending use, salt-tolerant crops and monitoring✓
2. Bunlimited use on all crops without care✓
3. Cignoring SAR and EC✓
4. Dbanning soil tests✓

Water table depth monitoring helps to

1. Ameasure only air humidity✓
2. Bcount insects✓
3. Cdetect waterlogging risk early✓
4. Dprice wheat✓

Evaporation from bare wet soil is reduced by

1. Aremoving all cover✓
2. Bfrequent bare tillage when wet✓
3. Cincreasing wind at surface always✓
4. Dmulching and residue cover✓

Irrigation efficiency at basin scale is complicated because

1. Aall seepage disappears forever unused✓
2. Befficiency concepts never apply✓
3. Cwater is not conserved physically✓
4. D'losses' may recharge groundwater used elsewhere✓

Flood irrigation on uneven fields causes

1. Aperfect uniformity always✓
2. Bzero runoff✓
3. Cautomatic fertigation✓
4. Dover-irrigation in low spots and stress on high spots✓

Intermittent irrigation of wheat should avoid stress especially at

1. Aonly after harvest✓
2. Bcrown root initiation, tillering, booting and grain filling✓
3. Conly during seed storage✓
4. Donly in midsummer fallow necessarily✓

Saline-sodic soils need

1. Aonly mulching without amendments✓
2. Bboth sodium displacement (e.g., gypsum) and leaching with drainage✓
3. Conly N fertilizer✓
4. Donly deep plowing without water✓

Tube well density increase in Punjab contributed to

1. Aend of irrigation need✓
2. Bban on Rabi wheat✓
3. Chigher cropping intensity and groundwater exploitation✓
4. Drise of only rainfed farming✓

Surface drainage is needed to remove

1. Aonly deep aquifer brine always✓
2. Bexcess rainfall and irrigation runoff✓
3. Cfertilizer bags✓
4. Dsoil texture✓

Watercourse renovation typically includes

1. Adestroying moghas✓
2. Braising water tables✓
3. Clining, desilting and improving outlets/nakkas✓
4. Dadding salts✓

Crop coefficients (Kc) are used to

1. Ameasure soil bulk density✓
2. Bgrade cotton lint✓
3. Cconvert reference ET to crop ET✓
4. Dset support prices✓

Deficit irrigation intentionally

1. Aalways maximizes water use✓
2. Bfloods fields continuously✓
3. Capplies less than full ET to save water with acceptable yield trade-offs✓
4. Dignores crop stages✓

Phreatophytes indicate

1. Adeep dry aquifers only✓
2. Bshallow groundwater conditions✓
3. Czero water table influence✓
4. Donly atmospheric drought✓

Salt balance of an irrigated field is maintained when

1. Aall irrigation stops forever✓
2. Bsalt in ≈ salt out via drainage/harvest over time✓
3. Cevaporation removes salts as gas✓
4. Dplants create infinite freshwater✓

IbIS modernization goals include

1. Aimproving measurement, equity and efficiency of water delivery✓
2. Babandoning agriculture✓
3. Cclosing all barrages✓
4. Dending provincial coordination✓

Barrages on the Indus system are used to

1. Adivert river water into canal commands✓
2. Bgenerate only nuclear power✓
3. Cdesalinate seawater✓
4. Dstore Himalayan snowpack in fields✓

A practical first step against farm-level salinity is

1. Aimproving drainage and avoiding continuous over-irrigation✓
2. Badding table salt✓
3. Cblocking drains✓
4. Draising water table✓