What is drip irrigation? Why is it considered the most efficient method of irrigation?

India’s irrigated area accounts for nearly 49% of the total agricultural land. The remaining 51% is rainfed and don’t have any irrigation Infrastructure.

Micro-irrigation

Micro-irrigation is a type of irrigation process with lower pressure and flow than a traditional sprinkle system. It is used in agriculture for row crops,  horticulture in wholesale nurseries, orchards. It minimizes the surface runoff of the soil and more absorption of water.

Drip irrigation

Drip irrigation is a kind of micro-irrigation arrangement with the potential to save water and nutrients by slow dripping of the water to the roots of plants, either from above the soil surface or buried below the surface.

The method of drip irrigation is considered one of the most efficient methods. It became the world’s most valued innovation in agriculture since its introduction of the modern system in the 1930s like the impact sprinkler, which offered the first alternative to surface irrigation.

Benefits

• The loss of fertilizer and nutrients got minimized due to nullifying the problem of leaching.
• Efficiency is high and the leveling of the field with irregular shapes in not necessary.
• Not potable recycled water could be reused.
• Moisture in the root zone could be controlled.
• The problem of soil erosion is removed with uniform water distribution.
• Low labor cost and no necessity of costly high-pressure irrigation system.

Due to the mentioned benefit, Drip irrigation is considered the most efficient method of irrigation.

Topics: GS-IV: Ethics and Human Interface