Water Application Methods - Practices of Irrigation and On-farm Water Management - page 52

2.3.4.4 Choosing a Sprinkler Type

When choosing a sprinkler type for irrigation, there are several considerations:

• Adaptability to crop, terrain, and field shape

• Labor availability and requirements

• Economics

• Automation facility

• Ability of the system to meet crop needs

2.3.5 Drip Irrigation

2.3.5.1 Concept and Features
Drip irrigation system is traditionally the application of a constant steady flow of
water to soil at low pressure. In this system, water is applied directly to the root
zone of plants by means of applicators (orifices, emitters, porous tubing, perforated
pipe, etc.) operated under low pressure with the applicators being placed either on
or below the surface of the ground (Fig. 2.9 ) . Water loss is minimized through these
measures, as there is very little splash owing to the low pressure and short distance
to the ground.
Drip systems tend to be very efficient and can be totally automated. Of the irri-
gation systems available, drip is the most ideally suited to high-value crops such as
the vegetables and fruits. Properly managed systems enable the production of max-
imum yields with a minimum quantity of water. These advantages often help justify
the high costs and management requirements. A typical drip irrigation system is
shown in Fig. 2.9 . There are many types of drip products on the market designed to
meet the demands for just about any application.

Fig. 2.9 Drip irrigation system