Drip irrigation for rice is changing the rules of the game

Yes! With precision irrigation, you can reach a yield of 8 -12 tons/ha – a 50% production increase over production with flood irrigation.

With drip, you can use up to 70% less water than traditional flood irrigation requires.

Again, yes! Pressure-compensated dripper lines deliver the precise amount of water required, regardless of pressure changes due to elevation shifts. There is a flexible diaphragm within the emitter which regulates the water flow, guaranteeing no flow variation across the entire field.

Just like when growing any other crop, there are recommended herbicides, ideal times for applications, and mechanical cultivation practices that farmers can easily follow to maximize weed control in aerobic conditions. Drip irrigation also gives farmers easier access to fields for pest and disease control.

Yes, absolutely. Drip irrigation allows you to rotate several crops on your land, including vegetables like tomatoes or onions, or open field crops including soybeans or corn. Growing legumes in the same field will also improve your soil’s fertility.

Drip irrigation is an efficient drip irrigation technique. Unlike traditional rice cultivation techniques, it brings a considerable reduction in crop production costs, making farming a more profitable venture for farmers.

Drip allows you to cultivate rice like other garden crops through regular land preparation, and direct seeding. You use fertilizers according to the crop stages and supply them directly to the crop root zone. This way, you require lesser fertilizers, and subsequently, you reduce fertilizer investments.

Furthermore, with drip irrigation, you can manage tasks such as land preparation, planting, irrigation, fertilization in a lesser amount of workforce. All these factors, along with the precise use of water, contribute to a significant drop in rice crop production cost.

Drip irrigation brings the following five sustainable advantages to Basmati rice farmers

• On-time plantation of the crop during the season.
• Cost-savings due to hassle-free and easy land preparation, less labor, and reduced water use.
• Nutrigation results in increased crop yield and improved crop quality.
• Water-savings increase the cultivable land.
• Reduction in the accumulation of arsenic in grain.

If you bring rice under drip irrigation, you can choose any seasonal close spacing crop after rice. It includes maize, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, etc. based on the local market demand.

Yes. Suppose you are a group of farmers sharing common tanks, ponds, canal water, etc. In this case, Netafim can install drip irrigation systems in the community irrigation mode to all the farmers involved. Drip systems installed in community irrigation mode benefit every farmer, including the smaller ones, as everyone gets the right and equal quantities of water during the crop season.

Drip irrigation reduces your farming investments. Unlike conventional rice cultivation, you don’t have to invest a lot in the water, labor, fertilizers, and other vital resources. So, here you save a lot of money. But drip irrigation does not limit itself to cost-savings. It also creates wealth for farmers! How?

Bringing rice under drip allows you to increase your cultivable land, save water, and take a more significant number of high-value crops in rotation after rice. So, although you grow more and better-quality rice, you don’t rely solely on rice to increase your agricultural income. You create wealth through different crop sources, and you don’t spend much on labor, land preparation, water, and fertilizers with the other crops either. This way, eventually, and in the long run, you save and earn money!

Weed management should be taken care more under drip system. The following points should be followed for controlling the weeds.

• If you feel weeds are more in your field, weeds can be allowed to germinate by giving a light irrigation/after rainfall. Then the emerged weed seedlings can be killed by using proper weedicide or shallow tillage. This will minimize the weed seed bank/growth after rice planting/sowing.
• Weedicides are efficient for controlling the weeds. Pre and Postemergence weedicides should be used to weed control after planting/sowing.
• Weedicide should be selected according to the weed flora (Grasses, Sedges, Broadleaf weeds) in your field.
• In order to control weeds effectively, the protocol viz., Weedicide selection based on weed dominance, correct time/stage of the application, using recommended Concentration (active ingredient) of weedicides, Proper sprayer (Knap Sack Sprayer) and spray Nozzle (Flat fan) selection, Good moisture in the field and recommended spray volume of water, should be considered while applying weedicides.