Irrigation is a lifeline of the agricultural industry, so choosing the suitable method becomes inevitable. You must be aware of the various types of flooding, like drip irrigation, lateral irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, etc.
Before you choose any of the methods to irrigate your fields, it's essential to know the advantages and disadvantages. Here we will tell you about the advantages and disadvantages of the popular technique of irrigation that is "Sprinkler Irrigation."
What is sprinkler irrigation?
Sprinkler Irrigation is a technique of applying water to the crops artificially likes rainfall. In this method, water is sprayed into the air via networks of pipes. It is one of the most convenient ways to water the crops uniformly. But just like every other thing, Sprinkler irrigation too has some advantages and disadvantages, which we have listed out below.
Advantages of Sprinkler Irrigation
• Fits almost every type of crop
Sprinkler irrigation is considered apt for crops like tea, coffee, and other plantations that have high water requirement. It is also used for watering orchards, flowering plants, and vegetables.
• Sprinkler irrigation is water-efficient
This method of irrigation is water-efficient as it requires a limited amount of water supply. In addition to this, sprinkler systems reduce water loss as they exclude water conveyance channels.
• Improves the crop yield
Sprinkler irrigation helps in improving the crop yield because water is given to the plantations as per their needs. Thus, helping the crops to fulfill their nutritional needs.
• Less labor and land requirement
Sprinkle irrigation helps in saving the cost of labor as it is it majorly done through mechanical tools that are via pipes and pumps? Also, it does not require much land for installation purposes, which means more of the field can be used for cultivation purposes.
Application of fertilizers and chemicals becomes easy
Sprinkler makes the process of fertigation easy. Fertilizers can be mixed with irrigation water so that they can reach crop without any extra effort.
Disadvantages of sprinkler irrigation
• Cannot withstand extreme water conditions
Sprinkler irrigation cannot work efficiently under extreme weather conditions. For instance, high wind conditions can affect the flow of water or raise in temperature can cause leaf burn if the water happens to be saline.
• Is not suitable for heavy clay soil-
"Heavy clay" and "sandy" soils are blends of sand, silt, and clay which will allow for sufficient water movement and withholding between soil particles. Thus sprinkler irrigation stands inefficient for this type of soil.
• The initial cost of installation is high
Though installing irrigation sprinklers is a one-time investment but is way too high. Making it out of reach for the small scale farmers.
• Needs constant and high amount of energy
Sprinkler irrigation works with massive dependency on the energy supply, which makes adds to its cost.
• Loss of water due to evaporation
There is a high chance of water loss due to evaporation in
sprinkler irrigation. Thus it is not suitable in the areas with high temperatures.
