![]() Crops are irrigated by several methods: flooding an entire field, channeling water between rows of plants, spraying water through large sprinklers, or letting water drop onto plants through holes in pipes. Pumps may also move water from reservoirs to fields. Canals and pipelines, just like the ancient Roman aqueducts, often rely on the force of gravity. Canals or pipelines carry the water from reservoirs to fields. Reservoirs include aquifers, basins that collect snowmelt, lakes, and basins created by dams. Modern irrigation systems use reservoirs, tanks, and wells to supply water for crops. This water was used for drinking, washing, and irrigation. Ancient Rome built structures called aqueducts to carry water from snowmelt in the Alps to cities and towns in the valleys below. ![]() As better techniques developed, societies in Egypt and China built irrigation canals, dams, dikes, and water storage facilities. The earliest form of irrigation probably involved people carrying buckets of water from wells or rivers to pour on their crops. In fact, civilization would probably not be possible without some form of irrigation. Ancient civilizations in many parts of the world practiced irrigation. By allowing farmers to grow crops on a consistent schedule, irrigation also creates more reliable food supplies. In areas that have irregular precipitation, irrigation improves crop growth and quality. Places that have sparse or seasonal rainfall could not sustain agriculture without irrigation. To irrigate is to water crops by bringing in water from pipes, canals, sprinklers, or other man-made means, rather than relying on rainfall alone.
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