ABSTRACT
Irrigated areas in the world are witnessing a transformation from open canal systems to more 'modern' irrigation methods such as drip irrigation that convey water through closed pipe systems. Initially associated with hi-tech irrigated agriculture, drip irrigation is now being used by a wide range of farmers including smallholders in Asia, North Africa and Latin America. Drip irrigation has left the technosphere in that it is no longer merely a pre-occupation of engineers. It frequently appears in popular media and wide audience publications, where it is referred to as 'arguably the world's most valued innovation in agriculture'. Indeed, the Hydra-Panda combination that characterizes drip irrigation makes it difficult to talk differently – less positively and more agnostically – about what it is supposed to do. As the debate on drip irrigation is dominated by overarching all-encompassing statements, there are many drip irrigation stories that remain untold.
