Agriculture is facing a severe resource scarcity across the planet at the moment, particularly water. The number of water sources farmers have access to has dwindled significantly, and the methods that once worked, such as seasonal rains and manual irrigation, have become unsustainable for many farmers. Irrigation efficiency is very important, and new technologies developed in recent years offer great alternatives.
A sprinkler system is a method of irrigation in which water is delivered from a sprinkler fixed above the plants or planted by them, mimicking falling water. A sprinkler irrigation system is easy to use, and farmers can easily maintain the flow rate and water delivery intensity. Sprinklers have become one of the newest technologies incorporated into farming, cultivation, and even horticulture.
हा प्रश्न आज अनेक शेतकऱ्यांच्या मनात आहे. बाजारात उपलब्ध असलेली चांगल्या दर्जाची खते वापरून, शिफारशीनुसार मात्रा देऊन आणि वेळेवर शेतीची कामे करूनही अपेक्षित उत्पादन मिळत नाही, अशी परिस्थिती अनेक पिकांमध्ये दिसून येते. अशावेळी बहुतांश शेतकरी खताचा ब्रँड बदलण्याचा किंवा अधिक खत देण्याचा विचार करतात. मात्र, प्रत्येक वेळी समस्या खतामध्येच असते असे नाही.
India is the second-largest cotton producer in the world. Cotton is a water-intensive crop, with adequate moisture being particularly important during the flowering and boll-development stages. As water resources become increasingly constrained, efficient irrigation management has become essential for sustainable cotton cultivation.
Sugarcane cultivation is very important in India. It is the second most grown crop in the country, and engages around 50 million farmers and families in its cultivation. The most valuable byproducts from sugarcane are sugar, molasses, ethanol and power generation.
Banana farming in modern times requires a good knowledge and implementation of scientific water and nutrient management. A banana plant can take 9-12 months to reach full maturity. A single banana plant can grow 15-35 kg of bananas, making banana farming one of the most profitable in modern farming. Among the wide variety of cultivars available to grow in India, the G9, or Grand Naine, is a Cavendish variety introduced by Israel.
Bananas are an important product for India. India is the world’s largest producer of bananas, accounting for roughly 20–27% of global banana production in recent years. Indian bananas are exported mainly to the Middle East, much of Asia, and some parts of Russia. This makes bananas a very important cash crop for Indian farmers.
महाराष्ट्रातील अनेक शेतकरी पाण्याची कमतरता, वाढता सिंचन खर्च आणि बदलते हवामान यामुळे ठिबक सिंचनाकडे (Drip Irrigation) वळत आहेत. ठिबक सिंचनामुळे पाण्याची बचत होते, उत्पादन वाढते आणि खतांचा वापर कार्यक्षम होतो. यासाठी महाराष्ट्र शासन प्रधानमंत्री राष्ट्रीय कृषी विकास योजना - प्रति थेंब अधिक पीक" योजनेंअंतर्गत अनुदान देते.
या लेखात ठिबक सिंचनासाठी अनुदान किती मिळते, पात्रता काय आहे, अर्ज कसा करायचा, कोणती कागदपत्रे लागतात, एंपॅनेलमेंट म्हणजेच काय, बिल अपलोड कसे करायचे आणि अर्ज नाकारला जाण्याची कारणे कोणती याची संपूर्ण माहिती दिली आहे.
India is still considered an agricultural country. 50% of India’s workforce is employed in agriculture, with around 60% to 70% of the country's population being directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture. Traditionally, farmers in India have used old methods, such as flooding, to irrigate their fields and orchards, but these methods are no longer sustainable. We now understand the growing importance of water-efficient farming in India.
If you are growing bananas, then you are well aware of the importance of banana yield and bunch weight in profitability. The higher the bunch weight, the better the banana yield. To increase yield, the bunch weight needs to be increased through drip irrigation. Banana plants can produce higher yields with prompt, regular irrigation. If irrigation is irregular or inconsistent, the banana plants will suffer and yield less at the end of the harvest.
Sugarcane is both a long-duration and a high-irrigation need crop. Sugarcane can take 10 to 18 months to reach full maturity, depending on the variety. It also needs a huge amount of water that has to be fed constantly. The water must be clean and potable, and the entire field must be irrigated regularly.
Maharashtra is one of the top sugarcane producers in India, with annual production ranging from 700 to 1000 lakh tonnes. Maharashtra reached a record high of 138 million tonnes for the 21-22 season. Maharashtra contributes 35-40% of the country's total sugar output and has an estimated annual turnover of 1 lakh crore rupees.
The importance of water management in sugarcane farming cannot be overstated. If you grow sugarcane or plan to, you definitely know that it grows in three basic phases, each with different irrigation and nutrient needs. Sugarcane is also a long-duration crop with high irrigation needs, requiring annual rainfall of 1100-1500 mm for a good harvest. Sugarcane also takes 10-18 months to reach full maturity for harvest, depending on the sugarcane variety.
Sugar recovery is the amount of sugar that can be extracted from a ton of sugarcane. The sugarcane is first pressed, and all the juice is collected. Then comes the process of clarification, evaporation, and crystallisation into raw sugar crystals. Sugar recovery % is thus the amount of commercial cane sugar collected form a ton of sugarcane.
