Abstract

Tanks are the major source of irrigation but in recent times due to substantial failure in rainfall the surface water bodies are getting dried up. The ever increase in demand for water resource warrants refinement in the agricultural practices. The Tunga Left Bank Command (TLBC) forms a part of Shimoga and Davanagere districts. Some of the tanks in TLBC are canalfed and others tanks are of irrigation returns. Consequently, it is important to know the suitability of the water for irrigation. In the present study, about fifteen water samples were collected from the tanks of TLBC and analyzed for physico-chemical parameters viz; pH,EC,TH,TDS ,Ca,Mg,Na,K,CO3,HCO3,PO4,Cl and SO4. The irrigation water quality characteristics, such as Exchangeable Sodium Percentage (ESP) values of canal-fed and unconnected tanks ranges from 0.054 to 2.216 and the values of Sodium Adsorption Ration (SAR) vary from 0.111 to 5.05. Similarly the values of Mg hazard vary from 15.9 to 76.6. The resulted obtained indicate that all the water samples of present study are within the permissible limits for irrigation purposes.