ABSTRACT
Efficient water use is necessary for sustainable crop production and drip irrigation proved to efficiently provide irrigation water and nutrients to the roots of plants, while maintaining high yield. Because not all the soil surface is wetted under drip irrigation, less water is required for irrigation. Modern drip irrigation has become the most valued innovation in agriculture. Higher water application efficiencies are achieved with drip irrigation due to reduced soil evaporation, less surface runoff and minimum deep percolation. The Government of India has been considering rapid promotion of use of plastics in agriculture and micro irrigation as a major step in improving overall horticultural crop yields and water use efficiency. The micro irrigation has gained considerable growth in the country due to financial assistance provided by the centrally sponsored subsidy scheme. Presently, drip irrigation has the greatest potential where (i) water and labor are expensive or scarce; (ii) water is of marginal quality viz., saline; (iii) soils are sandy, rocky or difficult to level; (iv) steep slopes and undulated topography; and (v) high value crops are produced. The principal crops under drip irrigation are commercial field crops (sugarcane, cotton, tobacco etc.), horticultural crops – fruit and orchard crops, vegetables, flowers, spices and condiments, bulb and tuber crops, plantation crops and silviculture/ forestry plantations. This method of irrigation continues to be important in the protected agriculture viz., greenhouses, shade nets, shallow and walking tunnels etc., for production of vegetables and flowers. Drip irrigation is also used for landscapes, parks, highways, commercial developments and residences. Undoubtedly, the area under drip irrigation will continue to increase rapidly as the amount of water available to agriculture declines and the demands for urban and industrial use increase. Drip irrigation is also one of the techniques that enable growers to overcome salinity problems that currently affect 8.0 million ha area in India. As this area increases, so too will the use of Drip irrigation to maintain crop production. In addition, because growers are looking to reduce cost of production but at the same time improve crop quality, the improved efficiency provided from drip irrigation technology will become increasingly important.
