Hello, farmers today we are going through the cost of drip-irrigation per acre in India apart from the Indian government’s drip system program subsidy. Drip irrigation is a crop irrigation method that mainly involves a regulated water delivery to plants through a system of pipes, valves, tubing, and emitters. Drip or drip is also referred to as micro or localized irrigation is a pressurized method for irrigating crops and orchards, consisting of an extensive network of pipes usually small in diameters that deliver water directly to the surrounding soil. The system generally has a fertilizer injection system, providing necessary nutrients to plants.
In a drip irrigation system, the aim is to provide a continuous readily available supply of soil moisture for each plant, which is sufficient to meet the transpiration requirements. To reduce the blockage of emitters a filter is used to remove suspended materials, organic matter, sand and clay soil. We’ll also discuss all the following topics in this article;
- Pressure regulator for drip irrigation
- Druck of water needed for drip irrigation
- Drip Irrigation Theory
- Benefits of Drip Irrigation System
- In India, drip irrigation costs per acre
- Drip irrigation better than sprinklers
- Rules for Drip Irrigation System installation
- The water-saving device in a drip irrigation
- Factors affect the cost of the gout irrigation system
Drip Irrigation Cost per Acre in India
Drip irrigation is one of the most powerful irrigation systems. The water drops directly into the soil in this method, avoiding soil losses, preventing losses due to evaporation or run-off, and if the flow rates are set right, water losses due to deep percolation can be reduced. This provides the roots with a moist environment that optimizes growth while keeping the rest of the plant relatively dry and helps prevent disease. In addition, you can control where the water is applied with drip irrigation systems, which increases the water efficiency and helps to minimize weed growth. Drip irrigations are usually about 90% effective, compared to sprinkler systems that are around 75% efficient. Water savings of up to 50 percent and plant yields of up to 40 percent can be improved.
The drip irrigation method is the practice of systematic application of small amounts of water and fertilizer across a specific area. Water and fertilizer are delivered directly to the root zone of the plant which removes runoff, evaporation, and drifts. A properly designed drip irrigation system provides producers with the best obtainable uniformity and quality for application, thereby saving them time, energy and water. To function optimally, a standard drip irrigation system needs around 25 pounds per square inch (psi) of water pressure, however many emitters rated at 25 psi can work well at pressures as low as 15 psi. The flow output could be slightly lower than at 25 psi but with longer watering periods, some difference can be made.
Drip irrigation systems can run longer than sprinkler systems, as they gradually and reliably deliver water.
We recommend you run drip irrigation;
- In Spring and Fall twice a week.
- Any other summer day.
- Winter once a week, or every other week.
The benefit of drip irrigation over a sprinkler system is that water loss due to evaporation or runoff occurs minimally. It is ideal for mulched fields, as it can soak the soil directly without washing the mulch away. Approximately 90 percent of the water is sprayed into the ground, compared to 30 percent. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that drip irrigation can save up to 30,000 gallons of water per year, about three times what the average countryside consumes.
Benefits of Drip Irrigation
The use of a drip irrigation system provides additional benefits to both farmers and crop production;
- A simple application of existing sensors to the soil.
- Use of fertilizers and pesticides in conjunction with irrigation systems.
- Irrigation, which avoids over-irrigation, could be prevented anytime.
- Simple to install, simple to build and it can be inexpensive.
- Possible to implement on nearly any type of terrain, soil, and crop; especially suitable for high-value row crops.
Types of Drip Irrigation
There are different types of drip irrigation;
Surface drip system
The emitter and lateral pipe are mounted on the soil surface within the surface drip network. This type of drip system is growing and popular. It is ideal for both broad-spaced plants and row crops. Using a surface drip is easy to observe and inspect, adjust and clean the emitters, analyze patterns of surface moisture and calculate individual discharge rates for the emitters.
Sub-surface drip system
The lateral irrigation is positioned under the field and near the area of the plant root zone in the sub-surface drip irrigation. In this irrigation system, water is pumped through the emitters gradually beneath the surface. Such devices have gained wider acceptance as a result of effectively removing earlier clogging issues. There is less interference in agriculture or any cultural practices, and probably more operational life, due to the process of sub-surface drip irrigation.
Sub-surface drip system provides little interference with crop cultivation or other cultural practices, and possibly longer operating life.
A drip irrigation system which installs rules
Some essential rules to follow when a drip irrigation system is installed;
No Filtration
Filtered water is best for the overall crop health and many drip irrigation systems come with a filter to ensure you have trouble-free usage for many years. If you want to give adequate protection to the tiny orifices of the micro-sprinklers and drippers, use a filter with a mesh screen of at least 155 is best.
Not Enough Emitters
When planning the drip system, the most common mistake people make is not integrating enough drip emitters into the program. Having the right amount of emitters would ensure the root systems of plants get the water they need. The more emitters you have, the happier and healthier plants will be, and you eliminate the risk of a blocked emitter killing off that plant by getting more than one emitter per plant. If you have a smaller plant requiring one emitter, make sure you use a clogging disk to avoid this risk.
Incorrect Pressure
It is very necessary for any drip irrigation system to have sufficient pressure; without that, your system will fail and your plants will suffer from water shortage. Too many emitters could cause a lack of water pressure on a single line and this could lead to clogging and insufficient watering. Use a good pressure regulator to ensure the proper functioning of the drip irrigation system, too.
Bad Placement
A further bad move is to put drip emitters too close together or too far away. Placing them equally will ensure plants get the right amount of water without oversaturating areas. A good rule of thumb is to position a uniformly spaced drip emitter along the plant line and a minimum of 6 inches from the plant base.
Improper Zoning
You are essentially distinguishing plants with different watering requirements from others by “zoning” drip irrigation systems. If you have trees, shrubs, and dry climate plants, you’ll want three different drip irrigation zones to provide them with the water they need without over-or underwatering. You can separate the zones by soil type and plant size. There are several ways to zone your system properly and knowing the right way will make all the difference for your plants.
Planning a drip irrigation
The water source that flows at a rate of at least 2 to 5 gallons per minute, with a pressure of at least 30 to 40 pounds. Raising it to increase the pressure when using a rain barrel. Locate the field that must be irrigated as close to the water source as possible. Use a 5/8-inch or 3ā4-inch hose to get the header in the area to be irrigated from house faucet too. Verify the region to be irrigated in form. Create a diagram by drawing the area and the tubing requires using a graph or grid chart.
Please avoid mixing types of fittings, hoses, and emitters when purchasing irrigation system devices, unless they are compatible. Emitter selection is crucial to any drip irrigation success. Some emitters work underground satisfactorily while using another tube above ground. Clogging emitters is a major problem in the irrigation of the drip and they quickly clog.
Operating a drip irrigation
The operation of a drip irrigation system is a matter of deciding how often and how long to turn it on. The purpose is to maintain adequate moisture from the soil without wasting water. Take the level of humidity in the root zone to a satisfactory level, too.
Subsidy component for drip irrigation
Farmers withholding up to 2,5 acres of dry land or 1,5 acres of wetland are classified as marginal farmers and eligible for a subsidy of 90 percent.
Farmers withholding up to 5 hectares of dry land or up to 2,5 hectares of wetland are classified as Small Farmers and are eligible for a 90% subsidy.
Farmers with more than 5 acres of dry land or more than 2.5 acres of wetland are defined as Other Farmers and are eligible for an 80 percent subsidy.
Farmer’s fitness for a program of drip irrigation
- Approximately 16.05 percent of the overall financial target is provided by the caste farmers schedule;
- And the Tribes farmer’s schedule will cover 9.55 percent of the total financial target.
- BC farmers should cover not less than 25 percent of the total financial target;
- SF or MF farmers shall cover not less than 50 percent of the total financial target;
- Certain farmers (more than 5 acres of landholding) shall occupy not more than 10 percent of the financial target.
Limits to use of a drip irrigation system
The drip system has limiting factors for efficient crop production implementation;
- Small outlet clogging of emitters caused by soil particles, chemicals, fertilizers, and organic materials.
- Damage caused by rodents on plastic pipes.
- Water uniformity due to differences in elevation in the unleveled area.
- Potential salt accumulation during two irrigation cycles in the plant root zone.
- If drip irrigation fails, plants are more vulnerable to stress.
Government subsidy for drip irrigation
The subsidy is available under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) for the Drip irrigation system in India. India’s government provides up to 5 hectares of irrigation subsidy per beneficiary. Financial assistance has been provided for various categories and mainly depending on the dessert, drought, hilly, and other regions of the country category of states.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), the Center provided 35 to 45 percent subsidy for drip irrigation, and the remaining subsidy could be borne by the state government. Could be granted a maximum subsidy of Rs. 1 lakh per hectare of land. Under this year’s scheme, a total of 300 farmers could benefit.
Cost of a drip irrigation system
The cost of installation of the drip irrigation system depends on different factors, such as what kind of crop you are sowing, type of soil, soil quality, sowing quality, water quality and drip material quality, and the nature of the drip irrigation system.
Also, the cost of drip irrigation depends on;
- Size and shape of the land
- Type of soil
- Types of crop
- Subsidy for the government
Factors that affect the drip irrigation system given below;
Yard size – The larger the yard, the more supplies the contractor wants to complete the job and the more time it takes.
Soil Type – The amount of soil that you have would play a major role in the cost of the system. Machinery is appropriate for rocky, and also sandy soil. Otherwise, installing a drip irrigation system will take time.
Quality of parts – High-end parts would increase the overall system price. These are likely to last longer before needing replacement, however.
Uneven Ground – Slopes, and hills will make it more difficult to install some form of drip irrigation system. The pressure-flow will trigger some issues, which means more pressure regulators will need to be mounted. Regrade the lawn if a drip irrigation project is causing a problem with the uneven ground.
Large Trees – If there are large trees on the property, there’s a good chance their roots could get in the way of installing the device.
Drip irrigation system cost per acre in India
The cost of installation depends on a number of factors. It costs only about Rs. 35,000 per acre for crops planted in 6X6 pattern drip irrigation. The cost of drip irrigation in India today varies from 45000 to 60000 Indian rupees per hectare.
Also, See Drip Irrigation ProductsDrip Irrigation ProductsDrip Irrigation ProductsDrip Irrigation Products