Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
respectively. Also, the gross irrigated area can be increased to 150-160 M-ha for the
required food production in 2050 A.D. The targets can be achieved by better water
management, introducing controlled irrigation systems on a large scale in India in the
coming years, by using micro irrigation system and use the sewage and effl uent water
(reuse) after reclamation.
3.2 MICROIRRIGATION
Micro-irrigation is a new technology in the country compared to sprinkler irrigation
but farmers are showing keen interest in introducing this water saving technology.
Drip irrigation was introduced on large scale in Israel during the sixties and at present
the entire area for all crops, micro irrigation is the only irrigation method practiced.
The Israeli farmers grow flowers, fruits and vegetables using drip system. But the
important factor is that the Government is helping the farmers by way of extension
and marketing of the products. The flowers plucked in the morning can reach the
markets in London, Paris, Stockholm in the noon or evening. In this way, the farm-
ers are encouraged to go for this system of irrigation. It is estimated that about 6 to 7
M-ha is under Drip irrigation in the world. At present, the countries using this system
are: U.S.A., Israel, France, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Australia, South Africa, Egypt, India,
China, Taiwan, Thailand, Brazil, Puerto Rico, etc., for about 60 different crops. In Is-
rael, sewage water after reclamation is used to irrigate cotton crop by this method. The
entire sugarcane crop is irrigated by drip (Biwall in Hawaii, U.S.A.) system. There
are various methods of drip irrigation such as: Drip, Micro Sprayer, Micro sprinkler,
Typhon, Bi-wall, Leakage pipes, etc.
In India, though Drip system is familiar with the farmers, the drip irrigated area
is about 2.0 M-ha, which is very meager compared to the total irrigated area in the
country (>100 M-ha). About 60 wide spaced crops are irrigated by this method. In the
beginning, it was introduced in water scarcity areas for wide spaced crops like coco-
nut, pomegranate, orange, grapes, etc. But now, farmers use this method even in places
where suffi cient water is available for irrigation and also for closely spaced row crops.
If one asks a banana farmer in Jalgaon district of Maharashtra state - India, why he has
gone for drip irrigation, his answer, is: Increased yield; Less inputs (Labor, fertilizers,
chemicals, etc.); High quality of products; and fi nally saving of water.
Therefore, the farmers in India are also aware of the importance of this system just
like any farmer in U.S.A. or in Israel, but the problem of introducing on large scale in
India is the high investment cost of this system. The cost is Rs. 70,000-80,000 per ha
for closely spaced crops: Vegetables, cotton, sugarcane, mulberry, etc. and this cost is
prohibitive to small farmers in the country, though the economics will prove that this
system is economically viable.
When National Commission on the use of Plastic in Agriculture (NCPA) requested
me to prepare a perspective plan for drip and sprinkler irrigation during 1989-1990,
I suggested about an area of one M-ha under drip irrigation by 2000 A.D. But the top
offi cials in the Government of India were septic about the suggestion and informed
that it is too ambitious, but I was able to convince them that the projection is very less
taking into consideration the advantages of the system and the different crops grown
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