The effects of these practices and other influencing factors are discussed in this NebGuide.
Many factors affect the performance of furrow irrigation systems.
Physical conditions such as soil texture, soil structure, field slope, field length, furrow shape, and the amount of crop residue cover, all have some impact on the performance of the irrigation system. The way the system is managed, including the furrow flow rate, length of application time and irrigation frequency, also affects system performance. Systems having runoff return facilities are exceptions, since runoff is only counted as a loss to the extent that the return system leaks. Example of the effect of tillage practices on infiltration characteristics. Tillage practices affect furrow irrigation systems by altering the infiltration characteristics of the soil and by altering crop residue in the furrow.