4. Irrigation

Every living beings need water to survive.
Water is important for proper growth and development of every living organism.

Water is an essential element in agriculture.

The time and frequency of irrigation varies from crop to crop, soil to soil and season to season. In summer, the frequency of watering is higher when compared to other seasons.

 

The sources of water for irrigation are — wells, tubewells, ponds, lakes, rivers, dams and canals.

 

 

 

The water available in wells, lakes, and canals need to be lifted up to the field through different methods in different regions.

 

Cattle or human labour is used in these methods. So these methods are cheaper, but less efficient. Examples of  traditional ways of irrigation are:
(i) Moat (pulley-system)
(ii) Dhekli
(iii) Rahat (Lever system)

 

 

Modern methods of irrigation employs electricity and engineering in order to use the water efficiently. As it involves power and machinery, it incurs a cost.
These are two prominent methods of modern irrigation.

 

In this system, the water is sprinkled through small tubes and rotating nozzles attached to a major pipeline with water. When water is forced through the smaller tubes from the main pipeline, it activates the nozzles and make the water sprinkle to the adjoining area.
Sprinkler is very useful for lawns, coffee plantation and several other crops.
Sprinkler system is particularly useful in uneven surface areas.

 

 

 

In this system, the water is made to fall drop by drop near the roots, hence, called drip system. This system best suits for watering fruit trees and gardens. In this system, water is not wasted. It is a boon for farmers in the dry regions with inadequate water resources.