Drip irrigation is gaining large amount of popularity due to the wonderful amount of benefits that is being provided by this irrigation technique. Nowadays there is more and more number of farmers who are implementing drip irrigation method which gives them the opportunity to automate the process of irrigation. In order to maximize the amount of benefits that are derived through drip irrigation it is necessary that the person possess adequate knowledge regarding the selection of proper field that will provide him best results. This article will be providing good deal of idea that will help in increasing the harvest of crops and also improve the quality of plants. The factor which influences the selection of field is technology, nature of crops, climatic conditions, labor inputs and many more.
Soil selection in fields
In drip irrigation there will constant spraying of water uniformly around the field. The soil type that is most suitable for drip irrigation is sandy soils. Surface irrigation cannot be applied for sandy soils since these soils have high penetration and very less storage capacity. Thus drip irrigation is the only best method that makes sure that proper level of water is supplied to plants without water wastage. It is also essential to note that clay or loamy soils should not be selected for fields that are being irrigated by drip irrigation since it will make soil slippery and water logged.
Climatic conditions and slope of field
example
Drip irrigation can be greatly affected if the wind velocity in field region is on the higher side. When the wind velocity is higher then the throw of water will be disrupted and non uniform spread of water will be made. The effect of drip irrigation can be maximized in which the flow of wind is uniform and stable. Another important factor which influences field selection for drip irrigation is slope of field. This irrigation technique will provide more benefits if field is sloppy or non uniform since it will ensure proper path for flow of water. Best example for sloppy field is rice grown in terrace space. Surface irrigation cannot be applied in regions which contains slope.
Water quality and type of crops
One of the important requirements for drip irrigation is quality of water which is present in field. It is essential to select field space in which water contains very less level of sediments or salt particles. Presence of higher level of sediments or salt particles will clog the sprinklers and decreases the efficiency of water spray. Since there is large level of investment which is being made for this irrigation technique only those fields which supports growth of higher value cash crops should be selected to ensure the farmer gets good returns for the money invested
Available labor
Drip irrigation provides the possibility of reducing the labor requirement due to automation process. Fields where lower level of labors is available will be well benefited by adapting drip irrigation technique. It is essential to maintain sprinklers in good condition to maintain efficiency in operation.
Greenhouses type of plantation has gained massive support from the people all around. They need to have better growth under specified condition. Also the growth of plants can be termed healthy due to procurement of essential conditions that are for the uninterrupted growth of plants. The harmful radiations can be stopped from approaching the plants productive systems. Conducive conditions are reached at the greenhouses instituting better growth of plants.
Essentials for drip irrigation
Essentials for any type of irrigation system are water supply. The source of water can determine the type of irrigation employed. The drip irrigation involves effective management of the water through proper channel. The channeling of water can be established by rational drip irrigation design. Also the moisture level at the region beneath the soil surface to be regulated periodically with drip irrigation system
Why greenhouses require drip irrigation ?
Drip irrigations are essential in area wherein there is scarcity in water.. Greenhouses are generally associated planned agriculture carried out at the expense of quite substantial investment. The effectiveness of the greenhouse is greatly determined by the quality of the plants grown so avoid any kind of pest or weed attack to the greenhouse plants, one needs to adopt for irrigation. It eliminates the opportunity for the growth of other types of plants like weeds taking nutrients from the ground surface.
Design your own greenhouse drip irrigation
Drip irrigation can be customized based on the type of the field that is to be irrigated. The irrigation system involves the use of tubing, valves, pressure regulators and other plumbing accessories to get planned irrigation method. Pressure flow regulators to a maximum value of about 30 psi can regulate the operating pressure of tubing. The slope of field, soil features and water source can be carefully studied before validating a design. The water requirement for a particular variety of plant can determine particular type of accessory like emitter to be used.
Agriculture practices have diversified simultaneously with the progress in the field of science and technology. Newer ways in agricultural practices are developed by the researches that are conducted based on the people’s requirement placed before the scientific fraternity. General exploration of land has brought in special type of terrains to be cultivated. These unique terrains require different kinds of irrigation technique to be employed. Also based on varied irrigation practices, the crops can be cultivated in small production or large-scale production. Irrigation techniques differ based on the type of land that is to be cultivated with prominent environment conditions. Based on the amount of water source present and sophistication infused by advancements, one can use numerous special irrigation systems. Of them, center pivot irrigation system is also popular among all countries in the world.
What is center pivot irrigation?
Center pivot irrigation includes unique machine that transports water in circular patterns in order to cover up all the field area. The area of filed covered by center pivot irrigation is largely dependent on the length of machine employed. Also it can be utilized to cover up several hectares of land to be irrigated within short interval of time. Some of salient features of center pivot irrigation can be discussed with some brief note over the construction of the center pivot irrigation machine. The irrigation machine tends to provide proper supply of water throughout the field. The construction details show that hydraulic actuators that are present initiate the movement of the machine. The tubing used for the manufacture of machine can be aluminum.
Pros and cons of center pivot irrigation
There are several advantages and disadvantages associated with the development of center pivot irrigation method in regular agricultural practice. One can witness high initial cost to be spent by the farmer. Also the maintenance cost of the machine could be cashing for the farmers. This can be compensated with the large-scale production of crops. The main advantage of the center pivot irrigation system is that it can be used to irrigate long distance with only limitation that surface topography should be flat.
Article Summary:
Center pivot irrigation is unique irrigation methodology employed to irrigate crops in circles. The land is covered by circular pattern irrigation obtained by transferring pivot machine that supplies water through rotary motion. This kind of irrigation is also termed as overhead type sprinkler irrigation. The area that is irrigated is dependent on the total reach of segments of tubing available over the machine.
Resource Box Info: This page provides information regarding the use of center pivot irrigation system in regular irrigation practice. Also some practical knowledge about application of this irrigation system has been discussed. For some details about this topic one can read through pages at http://www.agricultureguide.org/.
Melons belong to the Cucurbitaceae family. The plant grows in the form of a vine. It is basically a fruit, but some of it forms may be taken as ‘culinary vegetables’.
Many different varieties of melons are produced including Crenshaw, Juan Canary, Persian and Honeydew. Here is a look at the different factors involved in agricultural melon production.
Soils
Melons grow best in well-drained soils. Heavier soils are proffered because they can hold more water, which slows the start of the collapsing of vines, to ensure that melons grow with as little soil contact as possible, beds should left cloddy.
Irrigation
Too much saturation can be a stimulant for root rot diseases and ground spotting of fruit especially close to harvesting time. Furrow-irrigation method is usually used for melon production because sprinkling has a cooling effect on soil. Irrigations are scheduled as required to allow the replacement of moisture in the beds. The last irrigation is usually scheduled a week before the harvest.
Fertilization
Preplant P2O5 at 100 to 150 pounds/acre is used by majority of the growers. Materials that are commonly used for fertilization include liquid ammonium phosphate (10-34-0) as a band application near the lines of the seeds or ammonium phosphate (11-52-0) prior to listing the beds. A side stressing of N is used at 150 pounds/acre. It is a normal practice to use to use a liquid solution of UAN-32 (urea-ammonium nitrate.32-0-0) or AN-20 (liquid ammonium nitrate, 20-0-0) as the N source in place of dry N fertilizers.
Pollination
The recommendation is at least one colony of bees/acre; one and one-half colonies/acre is best. The distribution of bees should be such that they are present on at least two sides of a 40-acre field; it is even better if the bees are present within the fields. If the bees are present in large numbers yields are increased. Fruit-producing flowers open only for a day. A well pollinated flower will be visited by 15 bees on average during this period of time. The flower aborts if it’s poorly pollinated. Near the crown of the plant is where the best quality, largest size and earliest maturing melons are produced. For this reason, an adequate number of bees should be present in the field when the first male blossoms develop.
Integrated Pest Control
This includes weed control and insect identification and control. The herbicides that are available for weed management are not very effective, Majority of the growers use mechanical cultivation and hand hoeing for weed control.
Melons produced in the fall season are attacked by crickets, cutworms, aphids, ground battles and some other insects. Spring melons are attacked by mites, melon aphids, cutworms and a few other insects.
Furrow irrigation reduces sudden wilt, which is a serious problem that affects melons after fruit set
Post harvest Handling
Mixed melons can be injured by wrong chilling temperatures. 7 degree centigrade is the temperature that is best for honeydews, Crenshaw’s and Persians and 10 degree centigrade for casabas.
There are various kinds of irrigation. Drip irrigation method is considered one of the best. It involves dripping water gradually and slowly into the soil (at the rate of 2 – 20 liters per hour) from a network of tiny plastic pipes fitted with outlets called emitters or drippers. Water is applied close to the plants’ roots so that less water wasted and the plants [click to continue…]
Also known as trickle irrigation or micro irrigation, drip irrigation system is an irrigation method that allows water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either onto the soil surface or directly onto the root zone, through a complex network of valves, pipes, tubing and emitters. After the invention of the impact sprinkler, it is definitely one of most valued innovation in global agriculture since it saves water and fertilizer. [click to continue…]
Irrigation is pouring water to the soil using proper methods and in proper times as required by the plant growth as a result of insufficient rain. The success of irrigation depends on the selection of the most proper irrigation method as per the conditions and planning, projecting, establishing and operating the irrigation system necessary for that method. [click to continue…]
The system which consists of the tools and equipmen that provides the applicable of drip irrigation method called by drip irrigation system.The equipments of drip irrigation system divides three main groups. [click to continue…]
The main premise of the drip irrigation method is being able to water plants using a small amount of water delivered through pressurized pipes and drippers without creating problems that might otherwise arise from lack of moisture in the root zone.
One of the most important aspects of this method is that the watered zone is only along the plant line, leaving the rest of the field dry, thus using the least amount of water possible.
The advantages of the drip irrigation method are as follows:
- When water resources are scarce and costly, a much larger highly-targeted zone can be watered rather than covering the whole field with water.
- Because the watered zone is shadowed by the plant itself, evaporation is minimal and the consumption is lowered.
- The required moisture level in the root zone is maintained and the plant gets its water from the soil without using much energy. This is an important advantage that facilitates effective growth.
- Fertilizers can be used via the dripping system (where and when they are required), reducing the volume needed.
- The land between the plant rows remain dry and unwanted plant growth is prevented.
- The surface of the soil is dry which enables processing, medication, harvest and transfer work to be executed more easily and with minimal effort.
- Foliage remains dry, thus reducing the risk of disease.Moisture is spread through the root zone, contributing to properly aired soil.
- The output of each nozzle can be controlled with great efficiency, high water application efficiency and lower labour cost due to the automated system.
Drip Irrigation
Along with these advantages, there are some drawbacks that may restrict the usage of this method:
- The largest problem is that the drippers get clogged. To prevent this, water must be very well-filtered and chemicals must be used to clean out the system.
- Because the surface isn’t watered with the drip irrigation method, there is certain degree of salting. The salt is washed away if the zone receives more than 300mm yearly. If this isn’t the case with the location of the field, supportive surface watering methods must be employed.
- The initial cost of drip irrigation systems are very high, but if the plant grown has a large economical value, the ability to water a larger field will still make drip irrigation a viable option.
Overall, drip irrigation can be a very effective method for:
- Areas where a water source is limited
- The plant grown is sensitive to soil moisture
- Vegetable and fruit farms
- Growth of decorative plants
