Drip irrigation
Written by the scientific team of MOISIADIS GROUP
In this article we will briefly mention the advantages of the drip irrigation method. What is drip irrigation?
It is the form of irrigation of the future. Suitable for precision systems, drip irrigation is based on the irrigation of the plant/tree/plant stump and not just the irrigation of the soil. The water is transported to the field by pipes and delivered to each plant/tree on the line in the form of drips.
Water saving. Which means reduced costs and reduced water wastage (which is and will be a major problem in the future). Water savings compared to other irrigation methods can be up to 70% (!!!). As mentioned above, it is the plant that is irrigated and not the soil. The drop falls on specific points and spreads underground to the parts of the rhizosphere. We also do not have losses from evaporation in high temperature conditions in summer and runoff in the lower layers especially in soils with reduced water capacity (e.g. sandy soils).
Reduction of weeds. Weeds are known to compete with plants and trees for water and nutrients. The presence of water as for plants makes weeds grow with great ease. Weeds are also hosts for insects, viruses and fungi where there can be crop infestation with much higher losses. With the drip irrigation system, water falls directly into the rhizosphere and is utilized by the plant rather than by the neighboring weeds. Weeds in the presence of water from some drenching or sprinkler/sprinkler irrigation will sprout or grow much faster and their roots will take up space “stealing” valuable nutrients and more water from the crop. Also, some weeds are known to be difficult to control after a particular weed has grown (e.g. coneflower or cypress or Conyzabonariensis).
Possibility of hydrofertilisation (fertigation) : Hydrofertilisation has been known for its advantages for many years. It should be mentioned briefly that it is the method of adding water-soluble fertilizers (but also other formulations such as bio-stimulants) to provide the plant with mineral nutrients whenever and as long as it needs them. Hydrofertilisation has given tremendous results when used correctly and in some cases as a complement to the use of granular fertilisers. Examples are too numerous in all crops, the response of which is spectacular even to a single hydrofertilization. It is also possible through the hydrofertilisation system to provide some plant protection products against diseases of soil origin.
Reduction of fungal infestations : The importance of the presence of water is well known in the pathogenesis, reproduction and infection by fungi. Everyone commonly refers to mould either on walls or on food. In the field as most producers know the presence of moisture in the foliage positively influences most fungi for reproduction, host attack and transport (e.g. myxospores). In irrigation regimes where the crown or at least the lower part of the crown is wetted, the leaf environment becomes friendly for fungal growth. Those leaves will be sources of infection which can destroy the whole crop in a difficult year. Drip irrigation does not create moisture conditions in the leaves, so that in a ‘difficult’ year in terms of rainfall, as mentioned above, it will prevent a high percentage of infections.
Irrigation on sloping soils : The advantage of drip irrigation over sprinklers and micro sprinklers on sloping soils is obvious. The difference in height and slope present in such soils results in uneven water distribution with micro-ejectors. There is also a lot of runoff to the lower layers when water is collected and not directly absorbed by the soil, resulting in large volumes of water being collected causing suffocation and fungal disease problems. Also the wind which is common on slopes can distribute the water to different than desired locations which is not the case with drip irrigation.
Mechanizability and use of technology : With drip irrigation, the mechanizability is much easier than other irrigation methods. We are also increasingly hearing about Precision Agriculture which is essentially producer decisions based on models of analysis and predictions of both soil factors and diseases, insects, weather, leaf area and more. With analyses on soil moisture issues (with or without soil sensors present) the technology will also positively impact irrigation. Drip irrigation will have an advantage when we have such technological solutions at our fingertips. It should be mentioned that the leading companies in the field of irrigation with which the MOISIADIS GROUP cooperates already have such tools in their hands which have already started to give the first results in Greek fields.
Subsurface irrigation : It is a type of irrigation which is part of drip irrigation, however it provides the same advantages and in addition zero evaporation and water supply directly to deeper layers of the soil in the area of the rhizosphere.
