Water-use efficiency is a crucial concept in the realm of agriculture, representing the effectiveness with which water resources are utilized in the production of crops. It is a measure of the relationship between the amount of water applied to a field and the resulting yield of crops. Efficient water use is paramount for sustainable agriculture, especially in regions facing water scarcity and increasing demand for food production. One key strategy to enhance water-use efficiency is the implementation of micro-irrigation systems. Micro-irrigation involves the precise application of water directly to the root zone of plants, minimizing wastage and optimizing the absorption of water by crops. This technique includes methods like drip irrigation and sprinkler systems, which enable farmers to deliver water in controlled amounts, reducing evaporation losses and ensuring that plants receive the necessary moisture with minimal water expenditure. As a result, micro-irrigation plays a pivotal role in promoting sustainable agriculture by significantly improving water-use efficiency, conserving water resources, and contributing to the overall resilience of agricultural systems.
Tag: Different types of irrigation system.
Decoding the Question:
- In Intro, try to define the concept of water use efficiency.
- In Body, Discuss how micro irrigation is helpful in increasing water-use efficiency.
- Try to conclude with need of water use efficiency in various areas.
Answer:
Water-use efficiency refers to the ratio of water used in plant metabolism to water lost by the plant through transpiration. Water use efficiency is also about careful management of water supply sources, use of water serving technologies, reduction of excessive demand and other actions.
In the context of Indian agriculture, recognising the fast declining irrigation water potential and increasing demand for water from different sectors, a number of demand management strategies and programmes have been introduced. One such method is micro-irrigation that includes drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation.
Role of micro-irrigation in increasing water use efficiency:
- In these systems water is applied drop by drop nearer the root zone area of the crop, which delivers only the requisite amount of water. This prevents the loss of most of the irrigated water to vaporization as in the case traditional methods like surface irrigation.
- These are specially designed for horticultural crops, small grasses, nursery and lawns. Curated water delivery system saves a lot of water.
- Drip-irrigation technique can replace the hand watering system in hilly areas with minimum water losses and labor.
- On-farm irrigation efficiency, if a properly designed and managed drip irrigation system is implemented then water use efficiency will reach 90%.
- The application of emerging technologies like precision irrigation methods further augments water application to large farms in a more precise manner over a course of time. This method specifically suits farming according to Agro-climatic conditions.
The government of India has also accorded high priority to water conservation and its management. Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) has been formulated with the vision of extending the coverage of irrigation ‘Har Khet Ko Pani’ and improving water use efficiency ‘More crop per drop’ in focused manner using sprinkler & drip method of irrigation. This irrigation method has several advantages over furrow systems, including reduced water use.
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