India has many varied economic problems, apparently, one of them is wated capital in irrigation investment according to the Business Standard’s article Wasted potential.
One thing they recognize in the very first sentence
Creating facilities for irrigation is the easiest, as also the surest, way of boosting agricultural production.
We need to promote more investment in the USA into irrigation technologies to boost crop production as we move crops into more diverse roles such as bio-fuels.
The question of growth always brings up several factors in peoples minds. Traffic congestion, environmental impact, jobs and other economic impact are normally the first to mind. Until recently, very little is done in the way of after the building permits are issued and houses become homes.
Most municipalites have said nothing about water conservation outside of low flow toilets and shower heads until it is too late. Then they lean towards taking drastic steps and ban all landscaping sprinklers or shutting down car washes 5 days a week. Most efforts get them through the immediate water shortages, but fail to address anything longer term.
One North Carolina Study Seeks Efficient Irrigation through the usage of better irrigation technology. By first determing the requirements of the turf, they will draw a baseline of the most efficient methods. My money is on sub-surface drip.
Irrigation frequencies, how many times a week, amount of water required for keeping the turf alive, and the quality of the turf after the study will all be factors for determining what they will call “good technology”.
More drip irrigation studies should be made, one in every region and zone to ensure that our landscaping, home and garden remain well watered.
In case you did’nt know, July is Smart Irrigation Month
Automatic
sprinklers offer convenience and control in protecting your landscape
investment. Irrigation systems help you to enjoy your yard, and to keep it
healthy and beautiful. However, most homeowners tend to overwater their lawn or
waste water through inefficient habits. Adopting water-savvy habits is essential
to maintaining and extending your community’s water supply, especially during
peak use.
Check out the site and learn how you can be smarter about your irrigation projects.
A nice paper on the topic can be found on the K State website, SUBSURFACE DRIP IRRIGATION – PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE.
Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) has been a part of agricultural irrigation in the USA for about 40 years but interest has increased rapidly during the last 20 years. Early drip emitters and tubing were somewhat primitive in comparison to modern materials, which caused major problems, such as emitter plugging and poor distribution uniformity. As plastic materials, manufacturing processes, and emitter designs improved, SDI became more popular but emitter plugging caused by root intrusion remained a problem. Initially, SDI was used primarily for high-value crops such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and sugarcane. As system reliability and longevity improved, SDI was used for lower-valued agronomic crops, primarily because the system could be used for multiple years, reducing the annual system cost. Design guidelines have also evolved to include unique design elements for SDI, including air entry ports for vacuum relief and flushing manifolds. Specific installation equipment and guidelines have also been developed, resulting in more consistent system installation, improved performance, and longer life. Crop yields with SDI are equal to or better than yields with other irrigation methods, including surface drip systems. Water requirements are equal to or lower than surface drip and fertilizer requirements are sometimes lower than for other irrigation methods. Interest in the use of wastewater with SDI has increased during the last decade. The future of SDI is very promising, including its use in wastewater systems, and especially in areas where water conservation is important or water quality is poor. SDI is a very precise irrigation method, both in the delivery of water and nutrients to desired locations and the timing and frequency of applications for optimal plant growth.
For more in-depth information read the entire article. Also see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drip_irrigation
and
The Irrigation Tutorials website: http://www.irrigationtutorials.com
Welcome to Drip Irrigation, Questions & Answers.
As water and other natural resources become more and more scarce, it is important for the public to be made aware of conservation and green technologies that you can use to impact sustainable development.
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