Rice Flood Guide
This guide will help you determine the pumping time required to flood a certain field to a 4" depth. The values listed are not absolute; they do not take into consideration losses that may occur due to soil type, field configuration, crop and weather demand, or other factors that may affect the flow in the field.
The guide will help save as much water as possible and keep pumping costs in line. Other guidelines for rice irrigation are also listed.
Basis: 4"/Acre Flood
Total Seasonal Water Use: 23" -- 26"
Average Daily Water Use: 0.25"/Day
Fuel Consumption per Acre-inch
Diesel |
50' Lift - 0.45 gallons/Acre-inch |
Electric |
50' Lift - 6.4 KWH/Acre-inch |
Well Size
Minimum - 8 gpm/Acre
Maximum - 30 gpm/Acre
Well Capacity
Acre-inches per hour=GPM/450
Pumping time to replace daily water use of 0.25" based on total pumping time required for initial flood of 4 inches.
Pumping Time (hours)** |
|||
---|---|---|---|
4" Flood |
0.25" Daily Use |
4" Flood |
0.25" Daily Use |
60 |
3.8 |
150 |
9.4 |
70 |
4.4 |
160 |
10.0 |
80 |
5.0 |
170 |
10.6 |
90 |
5.6 |
180 |
11.3 |
100 |
6.3 |
190 |
11.9 |
110 |
6.9 |
200 |
12.5 |
120 |
7.5 |
210 |
13.1 |
130 |
8.1 |
220 |
13.8 |
140 |
8.8 |
225 |
14.1 |
**Example: It takes between 8.1 - 8.8 hours daily pumping to replace the 0.25" on the basis that it takes between 130 and 140 hours total to pump 4" on the whole field.
Daily water use is an average value for the whole season; peak water use is approximately 0.30" per day. This will occur during late vegetative and reproductive periods, so you may need to adjust pumping times to meet this higher demand period.
Total Hours Pumping Time for a 4-Inch Flood |
||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GALLONS PER MINUTE (GPM) |
|
|
||||||||||||||||
GPM |
400 |
600 |
800 |
1000 |
1200 |
1400 |
1600 |
1800 |
*2000 |
2200 |
2400 |
2600 |
2800 |
3000 |
3500 |
4000 |
|
|
|
45 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
90 |
60 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
20 |
|
|
135 |
90 |
68 |
54 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30 |
|
|
180 |
120 |
90 |
72 |
60 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
40 |
|
|
225 |
150 |
112 |
90 |
75 |
64 |
56 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
50 |
|
H |
|
180 |
135 |
108 |
90 |
77 |
68 |
60 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
60 |
|
|
|
210 |
158 |
126 |
105 |
90 |
79 |
70 |
63 |
57 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
70 |
|
|
O |
240 |
180 |
144 |
120 |
103 |
90 |
80 |
72 |
65 |
60 |
|
|
|
|
|
80 |
|
|
|
|
202 |
162 |
135 |
116 |
101 |
90 |
81 |
74 |
68 |
62 |
|
|
|
|
90 |
|
|
|
U |
225 |
180 |
150 |
128 |
112 |
100 |
90 |
82 |
75 |
69 |
64 |
60 |
|
|
100 |
|
|
|
|
|
198 |
165 |
141 |
124 |
110 |
99 |
90 |
82 |
76 |
71 |
66 |
|
|
110 |
|
|
|
|
R |
216 |
180 |
154 |
135 |
120 |
108 |
98 |
90 |
83 |
77 |
72 |
62 |
|
120 |
|
|
|
|
|
234 |
195 |
167 |
146 |
130 |
117 |
106 |
98 |
90 |
84 |
78 |
67 |
58 |
130 |
|
|
|
|
|
S |
210 |
180 |
158 |
140 |
126 |
114 |
105 |
97 |
90 |
84 |
72 |
63 |
140 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
225 |
193 |
169 |
150 |
135 |
123 |
112 |
104 |
96 |
90 |
77 |
68 |
150* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
206 |
180 |
160 |
144 |
131 |
120 |
111 |
103 |
96 |
82 |
72 |
160 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
218 |
191 |
170 |
153 |
139 |
128 |
118 |
109 |
102 |
87 |
77 |
170 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
231 |
202 |
180 |
162 |
147 |
135 |
125 |
116 |
108 |
93 |
81 |
180 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
214 |
190 |
171 |
155 |
142 |
132 |
122 |
114 |
98 |
86 |
190 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
225 |
200 |
180 |
164 |
150 |
138 |
128 |
120 |
103 |
90 |
200 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
210 |
189 |
172 |
158 |
145 |
135 |
126 |
108 |
95 |
210 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
220 |
198 |
180 |
165 |
152 |
141 |
132 |
113 |
99 |
220 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
230 |
207 |
188 |
172 |
159 |
148 |
138 |
118 |
104 |
230 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
216 |
196 |
180 |
166 |
154 |
144 |
123 |
108 |
240 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
225 |
204 |
188 |
173 |
161 |
150 |
128 |
113 |
250 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
225 |
209 |
190 |
117 |
165 |
141 |
124 |
275 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
225 |
208 |
193 |
180 |
154 |
135 |
300 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
225 |
209 |
195 |
167 |
146 |
350 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
225 |
210 |
180 |
158 |
350 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
225 |
193 |
169 |
375 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
206 |
180 |
400 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
218 |
191 |
425 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
231 |
103 |
450 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
214 |
475 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
225 |
500 |
|
*Example: With 2000 gallons per minute on 150 acres it takes a minimum of 135 hours to pump 4" on the whole filed. Average daily water use is 0.25"/day.
When flooding a dry field, you will probably need to pump an additional inch of water to take care of soil requirements and leaks in levees. This will mean increasing pumping time by 25%.
The Mississippi State University Extension Service is working to ensure all web content is accessible to all users. If you need assistance accessing any of our content, please email the webteam or call 662-325-2262.