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💧 Irrigation Water Calculator — Megalitres per Hectare

Calculate total water volume needed for irrigation in litres and megalitres. Essential for water budgeting, pump sizing, and irrigation scheduling.

Quick answer: Total water (ML) = Area (ha) × Depth (mm) ÷ 1000. Example: 50 hectares × 25mm = 1.25 ML (1.25 million litres). For litres: hectares × mm × 10,000 = litres.

💧 Calculate Irrigation Water

Total hectares being irrigated
Application depth per irrigation or seasonal total
—
Total Water (Megalitres)
—
Total Water (Litres)
—
ML per Hectare

📐 How Irrigation Water Is Calculated

Total Water (ML) = Area (ha) × Depth (mm) ÷ 1000
Total Water (Litres) = Area (ha) × Depth (mm) × 10,000
  1. Measure area — hectares to be irrigated
  2. Determine depth — millimetres of water to apply
  3. Calculate megalitres — multiply area by depth, divide by 1000
  4. Calculate litres — multiply area by depth by 10,000

📊 Worked Example

A cotton grower irrigates 100 hectares with 50mm of water per application.

Megalitres = 100 × 50 ÷ 1000 = 5.0 ML
Litres = 100 × 50 × 10,000 = 5,000,000 L (5 million litres)
ML per hectare = 5.0 ÷ 100 = 0.05 ML/ha

Over a full season requiring 800mm, total water = 100 × 800 ÷ 1000 = 80 ML per hectare → 8,000 ML total for 100 hectares.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Total water (ML) = Area (ha) × Depth (mm) ÷ 1000. Example: 50 hectares × 25mm = 1.25 ML (1.25 million litres).

Wheat: 350-500mm, Cotton: 700-900mm, Rice: 1000-1500mm, Maize: 500-700mm, Pasture: 400-800mm per season.

1 megalitre (ML) = 1,000,000 litres. A 50m × 25m × 2m deep farm dam holds 2.5 ML (2.5 million litres).

Pivot: 10-25mm per pass. Drip: 5-15mm per day. Flood: 75-150mm per irrigation. Sandy soils need lighter, more frequent applications; clay soils can take deeper applications less frequently.

🔗 Related Calculators

📅 Irrigation Schedule💧 Drip Irrigation🔄 Pivot Irrigation🚰 Water Pump Sizing🏞️ Dam Volume