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Drip Irrigation

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on November 17, 2012 at 12:52:36 pm
 

 

Description

Drip irrigation is a method of watering plants that saves water and fertilizer by channeling water directly to the roots of plants. The water is channeled through a network of valves, pipes, tubing, and emitters to the base of the plant.4

 

 

 

 

Issue Category:

Water resources

Food Security and livelihoods

Value:

Drip irrigation system is an effective way to increase agricultural productivity in scarce water resources setting 

SWOT Analysis

  Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
Feasibility
  • Can be used in difficult terrains (hilly, low rainfall)1,5
  • Variety of crops can be irrigated (vegetables, fruits, commercial cash crops, flowers)1
  • Difficult to use for cereal crops such as rice, wheat etc that require large quantity of water2
  • However research is ongoing showing promising results in rice cultivation using drip irrigation3
  • Lack of access to inputs, resources, incentives, markets, institutional support and outreach5
Fixed Cost
  • High, but lower than other irrigation systems1
  • Can recover investment costs after one crop season5 
  • Investment costs are high in the beginning (although relative cost-efficiency is better overall)
  • Less costly systems are being introduced by organizations such as IDE to meet the budget constraints of poor households.
  • Lack of access to credit5
  • Slopping land may have to be leveled which may require additional investments
Operational Cost
  • Reduced cultivation cost1,5
  • Drip tape can increase clean-up costs after harvest
  • Pipes can dry up or become damaged which can increase maintenance costs3
 
  • Drip kit and its spare parts may not be available in local markets5
Cost-effectiveness/
impact
  • Can double or triple1
  • Water savings of >50%1,5
  • Saves energy if gravity operated (IDE systems) or low horsepower pumps1,5
     
Labor requirements
  • Lower - for irrigation, weeding and fertilizer application
     
Others
  • Concentration of salts in roots is reduced due to slow application
  • Clogging occurs if water is not properly filtered or equipment is not well-maintained
  • Waste of water if not installed properly
  • Germination problems may arise in lighter soils if drip system is sufficiently wet the soil surface
  • Better trainings or resources must be available for troubleshooting and maintenance3
  •  
 
         

Case Studies

 

  •   Low Cost Drip Irrigation, Jhikhu Khola watershed, Nepal | FAO, ICIMOD <pdf> 
  •  

Additional Resources

 

Manuals and guides

  • Technical Manual for IDEal Micro Irrigation Systems (IMS) <IDE> features comprehensive parts lists and instructions for assembling low-cost drip irrigation systems.
  • Simple Drip Irrigation - Nepal <IDE presentation> features photos of drip system components and installations in Nepal.
  • Drip Irrigation Systems - Jain Irrigation Systems <website> describes different types of systems available through Jain

 

Organizations:

  • International Development Enterprises (IDE) <website>
  • Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd. <website>

 

Further reading (from Wikipedia4): 

  • Irrigation, 5th Edition, Muhammad Irfan Khan Yousafzai, Claude H. Pair, editor, published by the Irrigation Association, 1983
  • Trickle Irrigation for Crop Production, F. S. Nakayama and D. A. Bucks, editors, published by Elsevier, 1986, ISBN 0-444-42615-9
  • S. Blass, Water in Strife and Action (Hebrew), published by Massada limited, Israel, 1973
  • Maintenance Manual, published by Jain Irrigation Systems, 1989
  • Drip and Micro Irrigation Design and Management for Trees, Vines, and Field Crops, 3rd Edition, by Charles M. Burt and Stuart W. Styles, published by the Irrigation Training and Research Center, 2007

 

 

Reference

 

(1) IDE. Technical Manual for IDEal Micro Irrigation Systems (IMS) http://www.ideorg.org/OurTechnologies/IDEal_Drip_Technical_Manual.pdf

(2) S. Postel. "Drip Irrigation Expanding Worldwide" National Geographic News Watch. June 25, 2012 http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2012/06/25/drip-irrigation-expanding-worldwide/

(3) N Madhavan "Field of Dreams" Business Today. Aug 8 2010. <http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/fields-of-dreams/1/5852.html>

(4) "Drip Irrigation" Wikipedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drip_irrigation>

(5)   Low Cost Drip Irrigation, Jhikhu Khola watershed, Nepal. FAO. <ftp://ftp.fao.org/sd/sda/SDAR/sard/English%20GP/EN%20GP%20Asia/Drip_Irrigation_Nepal.pdf>

 

 

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