Drip irrigation is a type of micro-irrigation system that wets the root zone of plants with water. Drip irrigation also called trickle irrigation is one of the most efficient and innovative types of irrigation in the world.
With drip irrigation systems, plants can get water through their roots in trickle manner. This prevents water run-off and nutrients leaching. It also makes it possible for the plant to optimize the usage of the water as little or no water go to waste.
The advantages of using a drip irrigation system overshadow its disadvantages. It has been described by a lot of our customers as the best thing to happen to their farms.
Advantages of using a drip irrigation system
The following are the advantages of using a trickle irrigation system:
Drip irrigation ensures that farmers can grow crops all year round. With a drip irrigation system, a farmer is assured of the availability of water to his crops all year round. The ability of a farmer to grow crops all year round can significantly boost his income.
Drip irrigation enables farmers to engage in a process called fertigation. Fertigation is the passing of soluble fertilizers to plants through the drip irrigation system’s venturi injector. Fertigation can increase crop yield by as much as 200%. Fertigation also reduces the quantity of fertilizers to be used for crops.
Labour efficiency and savings in labour cost can be achieved if drip irrigation is used. With drip irrigation, the cost of hiring labourers for the application of fertilizers can be reduced by as much as 95%.
The drip tapes used in a drip irrigation system are usually UV tolerant; this ensures that the drip irrigation system will last long. The longevity of the drip irrigation system makes it cheap for farmers to irrigate their crops for a long time.
With drip irrigation, farmers can apply pesticides to their crops. For example, a farmland infested with nematodes can be easily treated by applying pesticides to the root zone of the plants through the drip irrigation systems. This process is called Chemigation. Systemic fungicides and insecticides can also be applied to plants through the drip irrigation system.
The drip irrigation system uses significantly lesser volume of water than other types of irrigation systems. For example, the drip irrigation system uses about 70% less water than the rain gun irrigation system.
Weed pressure can be significantly reduced if drip irrigation system is used instead of other types of irrigation system. The drip irrigation tapes only wet the roots of the plants and not the entire farmland.
The risk of fungal diseases is lesser if drip irrigation system is used, as water is not sprayed on the leaves of the plant.
Disadvantages of using a drip irrigation system
The following are the disadvantages of using a drip irrigation system:
The price of the drip irrigation system is a bit high. However, the merits in terms of increase in crop yield far outweigh the disadvantage of high price.
Do you need a drip irrigation system for your farm? If yes, why not contact us on 08025141924.