Article Courtesy : The Hindu

Author : Shankar Bennur

.incentive:At present, 80 per cent subsidy is given up to 2 hectares under drip irrigation, and 50 per cent up to 5 hectares.— file photo

Is drip irrigation the best and most viable option to achieve efficiency of water use during drought? The answer is ‘yes’, according to horticulture officials here.

This method has gained importance in recent years as it reduces wastage of water and use of electricity for pumpsets, besides giving higher crop yield.

With the State hit by two successive droughts, this irrigation method has come to the rescue of many farmers.

Described as one of the best techniques to tackle drought, the potential of drip irrigation has, perhaps, not yet been tapped fully, in spite of its benefits.

Subsidy
Incidentally, the subsidy for installing drip irrigation systems was hiked last year.

At present, 80 per cent subsidy is given up to 2 hectares, and 50 per cent up to 5 hectares.

Barring crops such as coffee, tea and rubber, subsidy is given for setting up drip irrigation systems for all other horticultural crops, according to department officials.

“Drip irrigation has immense potential. It ensures equal distribution of water to each plant, thus improving the yield. Weed growth is also checked under drip irrigation,” explained H.M. Nagaraj, Deputy Director, Department of Horticulture, Mysore.

Water efficiency
Speaking to The Hindu , he said drip irrigation gave the “highest” water efficiency compared to other micro systems. “Nowadays, farmers are adopting drip irrigation for crops such as sugarcane and cotton,” he said.

In Mysore district, 3,662 hectares had been covered under drip irrigation since 2005-05, the year when the subsidy was introduced. So far, 3,462 farmers had availed themselves of the subsidy. He said drip irrigation was ideal when using groundwater. “If the water source is a tank, lake or canals, then sand filters have to be used to prevent blocks in pipes and those filters cost more,” he explained.

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