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CLE3999
TECHNICAL ANSWERS TO THE REAL WORLD PROBLEMS

DIGITAL ASSIGNMENT- I

INISH MISHRA (15BCL0074)

RAHUL KESHARIYAR (15BCL0049)
SHUBHAM BAJPAI (15BCL0037)
SAI KRISHNA ABBURI (15BCL0058)
MANIKANTA (15BCL0322)
KANCHARLA ROHITH (15BCL0060)
MOHAN SAI (15BCL0066)
RAKESH BISHNOI (15BCL0001)
SURAJ PATIL (15BCL0047)
LAKSHMIKANTH (15BCL0187)
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Drip irrigation is a type of micro-irrigation that has the potential to save water and nutrients by
allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either from above the soil surface or buried
below the surface.
The goal is to place water directly into the root zone and minimize evaporation. Drip irrigation
systems distribute water through a network of valves, pipes, tubing, and emitters. Depending on
how well designed, installed, maintained, and operated it is, a drip irrigation system can be
more efficient than other types of irrigation systems, such as surface irrigation or sprinkler
irrigation

An Emitter or dripper in action

Primitive drip irrigation has been used since ancient times. Fan Sheng-Chih Shu, written
in China during the first century BCE, describes the use of buried, unglazed clay pots filled with
water as a means of irrigation. Modern drip irrigation began its development in Germany in
1860 when researchers began experimenting with subsurface irrigation using clay pipe to create
combination irrigation and drainage systems. Research was later expanded in the 1920s to
include the application of perforated pipe systems. The usage of plastic to hold and distribute
water in drip irrigation was later developed in Australia by Hannis Thill. Modern drip irrigation
has arguably become the world's most valued innovation in agriculture since the invention in the
1930s of the impact sprinkler, which offered the first practical alternative to surface irrigation.
Drip irrigation may also use devices called micro-spray heads, which spray water in a small
area, instead of dripping emitters. These are generally used on tree and vine crops with wider
root zones. Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) uses permanently or temporarily buried dripperline
or drip tape located at or below the plant roots. It is becoming popular for row crop irrigation,
especially in areas where water supplies are limited or recycled water is used for irrigation.
Careful study of all the relevant factors like land topography, soil, water, crop and agro-climatic
conditions are needed to determine the most suitable drip irrigation system and components to
be used in a specific installation.
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Why drip irrigation?

1. Water Efficiency

Drip irrigation will deliver water directly to the root zone of a plant. The water will seep slowly
into the soil one drop at a time. You will see that almost no water is lost from evaporation or
through water running off into other directions, rather than the plant you are actually trying to
nourish. Some studies show that using a drip irrigation system can save anywhere from 30%-
70% water compared to other methods of watering, like sprinklers. Being able to conserve water
in Utah is a must, almost every year we hear about the drought we’re living through!

2. Reduce Costs

No one wants to have a water bill of $200—it’s just way too much to pay each month! Because
yards, gardens, and drip irrigation systems are all so different, it’s hard to calculate how much a
person will save on their own water bill. The studies say that, on average, a person will use
about 50% less water, and depending on different features and how efficiently the drip system is
planned and set up, it can save up to 70%. Once you have your drip irrigation installed, compare
your bill to the year before. You could save anywhere from 50%-70% on that part of your bill!!

3. Save Time

Life is so fast-paced, and we all wish we could have more time. Well, having a drip irrigation
system can do that for you! Drip systems can eliminate the need to drag around hoses and
sprinklers, set timers, and make sure you remember to rotate and then shut them off when the
rotation is all done (I am definitely guilty of forgetting to shut them off!). If you opt for a
system that uses a timer, you will only need to take a few seconds to turn the system on, and
that system will shut off automatically for you when it is all done. Even if you don’t want to
invest in a timer, you will really only need to turn it on once and remember to shut it off
anywhere from 5-10 minutes later. So much easier than rotating sprinklers!

4. Healthier Plants = An Increase in Crops

Who doesn’t want to get the most they can out of their garden? Wouldn’t you love a steady flow
of harvest throughout the summer and into early fall? Drip irrigation can help with that
too! Plants watered with a drip system will grow more quickly, and are more productive. This is
because they have all the water they need and the plant growth isn’t slowed by water stress (I
know I am not the only one who forgets to water at the same time everyday!). Another thing
that drip systems can help avoid are fungal diseases, which often develop under moist
conditions and occur when plants get too much water.
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5. Reduce Growth of Weeds

Who wouldn’t love to have fewer weeds to pull? I know I would! Drip systems help with that
too! Because drip irrigation delivers water directly to the plants you want to grow, less water is
wasted on weeds. The soil between the plants will remain drier, which discourages weeds from
sprouting. I am all about that!

Why Drip Irrigation is Gaining Popularity?


Improved crop yield and quality. Water and nutrients are spoon-fed to the crop
uniformly and on the desired schedule.
 Water conservation. Drip irrigation helps stretch limited water supplies by reducing
water runoff, deep percolation and/or over-irrigation due to poor application uniformity.
 Reduced costs. Water, fertilizer, energy, labor, chemicals, weeding, insurance, and field
operations tend to cost less compared to alternative irrigation technologies.
 Improved logistics. Because crop wheel rows remain dry with drip irrigation, drip fields
are typically more accessible regardless of the irrigation schedule.
 Reduced disease. Since water is not applied within the plant canopy, humidity and
associated disease problems are reduced. Reduced puddling can also decrease the
opportunity for E. coli to grow.

Expected outcomes
1. Economic advantages of drip method of irrigation in sugarcane cultivation by selecting a
model farmer from Chittore district in Andhra pradesh.
2. The Productivity gains due to drip method of irrigation is about 54 per cent (30
tonnes/acre), water saving due to DMI comes to about 58 per cent over flood method of
irrigation.
3. Owing to less consumption of well water, the farmer is able to save about 1260 kwh/acre
of electricity, which is used for lifting water from wells. Besides these advantages, the
farmer could reduce the cost of cultivation to the tune of Rs. 3,450/acre particularly in
operations
4. the results of the study amply suggest that drip method of irrigation is economically
viable even without subsidy in water-intensive crops like sugarcane, one cannot
generalise the results of the study, as it is a case of one farmer.
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