Furrow Irrigation vs Drip Irrigation: Which Saves More Water?
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. For row crops and plants grown at spaced intervals, furrow and drip irrigation are among the most commonly used methods. Both require a main water source and are better options for irrigation, but drip irrigation is far more efficient at saving water than furrow irrigation. drip irrigation
Understanding Furrow Irrigation :
Furrow irrigation uses the land plane and gravity to water plants and crops properly. Usually, the land is dug up to place tubing that can be punctured at appropriate intervals, and then gravity is used to reach the plants the farmer grows in the raised beds along the furrows. Furrow irrigation is beneficial for growing broad-acre crops such as sugarcane, cotton, and corn, as well as vegetables like tomatoes. Furrow irrigation works best in level fields, where furrows can be dug along crop rows to facilitate irrigation. This type is the best for textured soil with medium water penetration. Setting up a furrow irrigation system is cheap and requires less energy and technical equipment.
Understanding Drip Irrigation :
Drip irrigation uses subsurface and surface-level pipes to deliver water in drop by drop form directly to the root zone of growing plants , thereby significantly reducing water waste. A drip irrigation system requires a main water source to irrigate the plants, a filtration system to filter the water and make it clean enough to be used for irrigation, a fertigation unit that can be used to deliver fertilisers to the plants at the same time, a series of mainline, subline and lateral pipes to deliver the water, and drippers or emitters to deliver the water in a controlled trickle at the root zones. A drip irrigation system is highly compatible with growing most row crops and tree crops, such as fruits and vines. With Drip irrigation, a farmer can easily control the flow and distribution rate of water. drip irrigation
Where Does Water Go? Understanding Water Losses
When a farm, field, or orchard is irrigated using traditional methods, water is wasted. Waste occurs through surface runoff when water is delivered at a rate higher than the soil's absorption rate, even removing fertile topsoil from fields and orchards. There is even the chance of deep percolation when the water is delivered but gets drained into the soil before the roots can absorb enough. Evaporation from the soil surface due to strong sunlight is another issue, as plants don't receive the required water. Even seepage takes water away from the plants, leading it to areas that are not optimal for their growth. Lastly, strong winds can completely derail the flow and absorption of the water by pushing against the deposits.
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