Drip irrigation is a type of micro-irrigation system that has the potential to save water and nutrients by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either from above the soil surface or buried below the surface. The goal is to place water directly into the root zone and minimize evaporation.
Advantage of Drip Irrigation system compared to Conventional System:
- Drip irrigation system is highly efficient for vegetables and orchards (more than 95% application efficiency) as it applies right quantity of water exactly in the root zone of the plants having very little evaporation and percolation losses.
- There is no waste, as water is not applied in the non-root zone areas as is done in conventional flooding method (application efficiency varies from 50-60% for flooded application and 60-80% for buried pipe system).
- The design is simple and flexible. A typical design for a particular area coverage can be installed anywhere depending on the field condition and public demand and can even handle land elevation differences from 1 to 2 meters with low pressure systems having a typical head of 4-6 meter.
- The vendors can provide drip kits for different area coverage containing adjustable design sketches, all components and installation manuals. It can even be rolled out and stored or shifted to different locations as required.
- The pumps, plastic header tanks (like Gazi Tanks) and the mountings can also be made portable.
- The drip irrigation is expected to increase the total cultivable and irrigated areas as higher lands near homesteads and other places can also be irrigated with this system, which is not possible under the gravity system.