What is drip irrigation?
Drip irrigation is the most efficient water and nutrient delivery system for growing crops.
It delivers water and nutrients directly to the plant’s root zone, in the right amounts, at the right time, so each plant gets exactly what it needs, when it needs it, to grow optimally.
With drip irrigation, farmers can produce higher yields while saving on resources such as water, fertilizers, and energy.
How does it work?
Water and nutrients are delivered across the field in pipes called ‘driplines’ featuring small ’emitters’.
Each emitter puts out drops of water and fertilizers, resulting in the uniform application of water and nutrients directly to each plant’s root zone, across an entire field.
Why do farmers prefer drip irrigation?
Drip Irrigation delivers greater ROI when compared to other irrigation methods, it also gives farmers an efficient and simple way to operate their farms.
- Higher consistent quality yields
- Huge water savings: no evaporation, no runoff, no waste
- 100% land utilization – drip irrigates uniformly in any topography and soil type
- Energy savings: drip irrigation works on low pressure
- Efficient use of fertilizer and crop protection, with no leaching
- Less dependency on weather, greater stability, and lower risks
Why do plants prefer drip irrigation?
Just like people, plants prefer their water and nutrients in a balanced way. Nobody wants to eat a month’s worth of food in one day.
With drip irrigation plants uptake water and nutrients in smaller doses, more frequently, ensuring optimal growing conditions that produce the highest yields possible.
Here’s why plants are more productive with drip irrigation:
- High availability of water and nutrients
- Doses of water and nutrients tailored to the plant’s development needs
- No saturation and good soil aeration
- Avoids high salinity caused by excessive fertilizer application
- No wetting of foliage that can result in fungal diseases
Why the world needs drip irrigation?
By 2050, there’ll be 10 billion people living on our planet, and 20% less arable land per person to grow enough food.
Include increasing water scarcity, and it’s clear why we need a way to increase agricultural productivity and resource efficiency.
This is where drip irrigation come in, changing the economics of global agriculture by allowing farmers to produce more crops per acre with less water.
- Reduce impact of drought and climate change on food production
- Avoid contamination of groundwater and rivers caused by fertilizer leaching
- Support rural communities, reduce poverty, reduce migration to cities