Evaporation is cut way down, and up to one-fourth of the water used is saved, as compared to flood irrigation. Spray irrigation is a more modern way of irrigating, but it also requires machinery. This system is similar to the way you might water your lawn at home - stand there with a hose and spray the water out in all directions. Large scale spray irrigation systems are in use on large farms today. These systems have a long tube fixed at one end to the water source, such as a well.
Water flows through the tube and is shot out by a system of spray-guns.
They work in the same way you might water your yard. If you placed a faucet in the center of your yard, you could take a hose, punch holes all along it, and attach a spray gun at the end. Using this method you can get a very large circle of lawn watered with just a short hose. And there can be a very big water gun at the end of the tube. If you've been in an airplane you can easily locate center-pivot irrigation systems on the ground.