Name and explain the modern methods of irrigation that help us to use water
economically.
Answers
Answer:
These are more efficient irrigation systems that were invented in recent decades. These help us use water economically without wastage for agriculture. Let us take a look at the two most important systems, the drip irrigation and the sprinkler.
1. Drip Irrigation System
Drip irrigation is the most used irrigation system these days. In the drip irrigation, we lay plastic pipes in rows near the crops or plants. These pipes have holes in them. The water seeps from these holes drop by drop, hence the name drip irrigation. Drip irrigation is one of the most efficient irrigation methods as it reduces water wastage in agriculture.
2. Sprinkler System
Sprinkler systems mimic the phenomenon of rain. In sprinkler systems, the pipes carry water to central locations on the farm. The sprinklers placed there, distribute the water across the fields. The sprinkler method is one of the most efficient irrigation methods to irrigate the uneven land for agriculture. In addition, sprinkler systems provide the best coverage regardless of the size of the farm.
The methods of irrigation can be divided into four main types. These include
Surface irrigation,
Sprinkler,
Drip, and
Subsurface.
These modern irrigation techniques have been discussed in detail below –
Surface Irrigation
It is one of the most common methods of irrigation. Here water is applied to the soil with the help of gravity. Since the distribution of water is not regulated, surface irrigation is also known as flood irrigation.
This irrigation system is further classified into three other types of modern methods of irrigation. These are as follows –
Furrow – in the case of furrow irrigation, water is made to flow through shallow channels which are evenly spaced out and at a slope to the field. The water in these shallow channels is supplied through a variety of ways such as siphon, main ditch, gated pipe, etc.
Inflow rate, soil infiltration, slope and shape of furrows, and surface roughness determine the speed of the water. It requires less capital investment, but it is one of the most labor-intensive methods of irrigation.
Basin and Border Irrigation– Both of these techniques involve water running through the soil. However, in basin irrigation, water is supplied to a field which may result in ponding for a while. on the other hand, water is made to flow through ditches running through the ground with a drainage system at the end.
Sprinkler System
In this method revolving nozzles attached to pipelines, water droplets are sprayed or sprinkled across the landscape like raindrops. The pipelines are joined perpendicular to a field-installed main pipeline. Sprinkler irrigation allows you to irrigate areas that are too irregular to be irrigated with conventional methods. Some benefits of this system are as follows.
It's great for sandy soil and rough terrain.
Plants/crops are protected from harsh colds or temperatures.
A sprinkler system can be used to apply fertilizer and pesticides.
It aids with soil conservation.
Drip System
Water flows through narrow pipelines buried in the ground and drips through small holes (emitters) near plant roots. The plant is nourished by the water absorbed by the roots. With this strategy, there is no water waste because less water is lost to evaporation, runoff, and wind. Some benefits of this system are:
Water is conserved through optimizing soil moisture.
For plant health, direct watering of plant roots is necessary.
Weed development is inhibited because water is supplied directly to plants rather than being distributed throughout the field.
Bacterial growth is minimized since the space around the plants is dry.