Okuzeka
Agriculture vocabulary · Irrigation and Water

Groundwater

Meaning in agriculture, with examples

nounCommon term

In agriculture, groundwater means: Water stored underground in soil and rock layers called aquifers, which farmers pump up through wells for irrigation and livestock.

In Turkish: yeraltı suyu

How it is used

Used in water management and policy. Experts talk about groundwater levels, groundwater depletion and overpumping, and about pollution of groundwater by nitrate from fertilizers. Wells need permits in many countries.

Example sentences

  1. Groundwater levels in the Konya Basin have fallen by many meters.

  2. Too much nitrogen fertilizer can pollute the groundwater.

Common collocations

  • groundwater level
  • groundwater depletion
  • pump groundwater
  • groundwater pollution
  • groundwater well
  • irrigationThe artificial supply of water to land or crops through channels, pipes, sprinklers or drippers, used when rain alone is not enough.
  • droughtA long period with much less rain than normal, which leaves soil dry and causes water shortages and crop losses.
  • drip irrigationA method that delivers water slowly and directly to the roots of each plant through pipes and small emitters, wasting very little water.
  • salinityThe amount of dissolved salts in soil or water; high salinity makes it hard for plants to take up water and lowers yields.
  • irrigation schedulingDeciding when to irrigate and how much water to apply, based on crop needs, weather data and soil moisture.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Irrigation and Water

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