Drip Irrigation: The Game Changer!

Drip irrigation has risen as an ingenious innovation that allows both for high crop yields and does so in a climate conscious manner. It allows for the increased cultivation and production of crops with limited water supply which not only saves the unnecessary use of water (what is rapidly becoming a precious, and scarce commodity) but also allows for regions with limited water supply to harvest crops. 2022 has witnessed unseasonal rains which, in turn, affect crop yield: particularly with crops such as wheat. Drip irrigation technology has the potential to aid in course-correcting efforts in the face of climate issues such as these. It does so by introducing water directly to the root: preventing loss of water via run-off, deep percolation, and evaporation.

Drip irrigation is a component of a wider category of ‘micro-irrigation’ techniques that could stand to revolutionize agrarian practice in the nation. The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana’s (PMKSY) aims to increase water-use efficiency through technologies such as drip, and sprinkler irrigation hold lots of promise not only environmentally, but also economically for India’s farmers and citizenry. This initiative will simultaneously aim to increase water coverage via smart irrigation, dubbed “Har Khet Ko Pani” by the PMKSY.

Furthermore, smart irrigation technologies such as this will also decrease fertilizer and labor requirements: resulting in both healthier crop yields and hopefully a reduction in the exploitation of labor. These technologies have arrived at an opportune time wherein India is experiencing both water scarcity and a sharp increase in population, with the agricultural sector arising as a large consumer of water. However, this population boom means that the agricultural sector might have to cut corners as water supply is redirected to other sectors leaving both less, and poorer quality water for farming. Enter micro-irrigation and the PMKSY.

The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana is a programme that arose when farmer suicides were at an all-time high. The union government needed to come up with a means to increase production, farmer’s salaries, and do so in a sustainable manner. It is thus that the PMKSY incentivises the adoption of these micro-irrigation techniques by providing up to 55% financial aid to small farmers, and up to 45% for other farmers upon their inclusion of these technologies in their farming practices. Additionally, this increase in population necessitates an increase in output. With vertical expansion of farming land looking increasingly unlikely, the expansion of this sector would need to venture towards degraded and waste-lands. While these would normally not be feasible given the costs, and unlikely output; drip irrigation has rendered not only a real, but a promising option.

While the boons of drip irrigation are many, we are yet to witness its wide-scale adoption. Not only does it save water, it also allows for the cultivation of degraded land, saving electricity, and maintains optimum soil moisture. An interesting case-study for the introduction, and widespread adoption of drip irrigation technologies is in Israel, a semi-arid nation that has since combatted its issues of water scarcity via these drip irrigation technologies and can now boast it’s status as a water surplus nation.

Sources:

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/agriculture/micro-irrigation-the-way-ahead-for-sustainable-agriculture-73153