Basic Knowledge in Agriculture #60

What is Irrigation

When our farm is not having enough rainfall and we devise a means of bringing water to the crops, which will help them grow well.

Irrigation is any means, method or system used to introduce water to a farmland with the aim of boosting agricultural production.
Irrigation becomes very important when the farmland is not having sufficient annual rainfall or when farming in a controlled environment where natural rain is not allowed.

Discuss the types of Irrigation systems

Furrow Irrigation:
This is an old-Abrahamic irrigation system where water flows down to the farmlands through small channels or furrows, often used for row crops.

Drainage Irrigation:
In a drainage irrigation system the transported water is emptied on the land and it is allowed to flood the surface of the irrigated land. We use this in farms used for planting rice, sugarcane and taro.

Drip Irrigation:
I love the drip irrigation system, i take it as the opposite of drainage irrigation. A farmer using this method introduces the water directly at the roots, using pipes and drippers. This style is cool because no water is allowed to run off, and there is less water loss due to evaporation.

Centre Pivot Irrigation:
The centre pivot irrigation uses high-pressure water at a central point, with a long, rotating arm that sprays water over a circular area.
The distance covered depends on water pressure and nozzle arrangement. It is often used for large farms.

Source

Advantages:

1. When crops receive enough water, the crop yield is increased. Constant water supply from irrigation boosts the growth and productivity of the crops compared to a farmland that waits for rainfall in these unpredictable times.
2. Irrigation make it easy and possible to control the amount of water supplied to the crops resulting in better crop quality.
3. With a constant and regular water supply from irrigation, a farm can grow crops all year-round. Imagine farming deep in the dry season when everywhere is dry with limited water.
4. Irrigation will allows the farmer to properly manage the water reducing wastage.

Disadvantages:

1. Water can be overused simply because it is available, resulting in water depletion that can harm surrounding ecosystems.
2. The cost of production may go up because power is needed to pump water into the system, resulting in costs being sold at a higher price.
3. Building or installing a good irrigation system can be very expensive