Background:

Agricultural sector is the largest consumer of water. The overall efficiency of the flood irrigation system ranges between 25 to 40 per cent. To meet the food security, income and nutritional needs of the projected population in 2020, the food production in India will have to be almost doubled. Adoption of micro irrigation, may help in saving significant amount of water and increase the quality and quantity of produce. All these emphasize the need for water conservation and improvement in water-use efficiency to achieve ‘more crop per drop’.

Micro irrigation is not only an irrigation method and water management option, but it is a tool that has several advantages. Irrigation events can be fine – tuned to spoon feed water and nutrients just in time to avoid plant stress. It can increase the crop production (maximize economic yield for each unit of water) and in many cases improve the quality of agricultural products.

Drip irrigation is one of the latest innovations for applying water to row crops planted, especially in the water scarce areas. There can be considerable saving of water by adopting this method since water can be applied almost precisely and directly in the root zone without wetting the entire area.

Drip irrigation system can be used to maximize yield and quality by taking the advantage of the management control provided by its inherent layout system. This technology not only uses each drop of water most efficiently but also results in good crop growth and yield advantage due to stable moisture content maintained always in the root zone of the crop by way of frequent irrigation at shorter intervals. The drip irrigation method is characterized by low rate of water application over a long period of time at frequent intervals into the plant root zone.

Fertigation is a relatively new but revolutionary concept in applying fertilizer through irrigation. It helps to achieve both fertilizer-use efficiency and water-use efficiency. The benefits of fertigation have been examined in several studies. Much of the studies relates to fertigation in commercial crops. Papadopoulos (1988) and Hartz (1994) have stated that crop yields under fertigation have greater yield potential than previously imagined.  A properly designed drip fertigation system delivers water and nutrients at a rate, duration and frequency, so as to maximize crop water and nutrient uptake, while minimizing leaching of nutrients and chemicals from the root zone of agricultural fields (Gardenas et al., 2005).

The studies on fertigation and its effects on yield have shown beyond doubt that fertigation increased the crop yield and resulted in saving of fertilizer to an appreciable level. Studies conducted at Madurai and Coimbatore have proved that the farmers will be highly benefited by drip fertigation mainly sugarcane, groundnut and cotton. Yield increase due to drip fertigation was recorded to about 180% in sugarcane, 150% in Maize and 140% in Cotton.

The yield increase due to drip fertigation

Project Rationale

Scientifically, the key to achieve more yield per unit of water as well as sustainable higher crop production lies in efficient use or irrigation water. In many areas, crop productivity is low despite copious use of irrigation water. Because of uncertainty in availability of canal water, the farmers tend to apply more water than the actual requirement. Irrigation practices should be based on sound principles in conformity with the local conditions.  

Efficient irrigation depends not only on timely application but also on the manner of application. Improper application results in uneven distribution, deep percolation or under water supply. Utmost care is needed to reduce all avoidable losses. In some countries like USA, automation of water control is practiced in major canals to ensure efficient irrigation. The modern improved irrigation methods give overall efficiency as high as 90 per cent as against only 30-40 per cent under the conventional methods. According to a World Bank study even 10 per cent increase in water use efficiency in India will be able to achieve additional food production matching with the population increase by 2025.

Sprinkler and drip methods of irrigation have gained popularity in recent years. The total water loss was only 18 per cent in case of sprinkler as against 54-71 per cent under the conventional surface methods (Agarwal and Jhorar, 1996).

Drip or trickle method developed in Israel helps in keeping minimum evaporation and percolation losses and applies water directly in the root zone. In India, the method has received impetus after its introduction in 1970’s, covering 6000 ha in 1988 and 84000 ha in 1995. The largest area was in Maharashtra (38000 ha) followed by Karnataka (14000 ha), A.P. (13000 ha), Gujarat (5000 ha), Kerala (3000 ha) and M.P. (1000 ha).

The drip method is more suitable for widely spaced fruit and vegetable crops, plantation crops and other high value commercial crops like sugarcane and cotton. In view of its higher input use efficiency, wider adaptability to diversity of soils, crops, climate etc. and other benefits, the Government of India is providing high subsidy to promote its large scale adoption. With drip irrigation both water and fertilizers (fertigation) are applied more precisely in controlled quantity at appropriate time and depth as per crop need, and even poor quality water can be used.

Hence under above said circumstances of less water availability in the days to come, it is very much essential to develop technologies on drip fertigation to increase the yield and it’s quality which will in-turn help the farmers to get higher crop yields. Demonstration and training the farmers in laying and maintaining of drip system and fixing fertigation schedule for field crops will equip the farmers for successful adoption.

As the scope for expansion of area under cotton is very much limited, the only possible strategy is to increase the productivity with the existing land and water resources. Drip fertigation, the modern method of fertilizer application through drip irrigation offers great scope in saving of irrigation water and fertilizer, more accurate and timely supply of nutrients. In addition it also reduces the losses of nutrients through volatilization and increasing water and fertilizer use efficiency and thus promoting growth and yield of cotton crop. Hence the combined application of water and fertilizer through drip irrigation system accentuate the scope for improving productivity besides efficient use of water and fertilizers. To get additional benefits and more income introducing system approach is essential. Cotton-Blackgram-Maize cropping system aims at higher profit and maximum resource utilization.

Project Strategy (overall approach)

• Cotton Based Cropping System

Demonstration plots will be laid in the farmers field with drip fertigation system for cotton based cropping system. Five block will be selected and Two demonstration plots in each block will be laid out.

Totally 16 trainings will be given. One training will be at the college as on campus training. 15 trainings will be conducted at five blocks covering three crops individually. Training will be given in layout, planting technique, fertigation, calculating the fertigation schedule (water and fertilizer quantity per fertigation) and operating system.

Finally field day will be conducted to make the trainees and other farmers to realize the out come.
 

Project Goals (Objectives)

• Equipping the farmers with technical knowledge of drip fertigation by demonstration and training.
• Making more farmers to adopt drip fertigation by conducting field days.

Project Components:

(i) Target Area:

Cotton based cropping system (Cotton – Pulse – Maize)

• Chellampatti, 2) Sedapatti, 3) T. Kallupatti, 4) Kallikudi, 5) Trimangalam blocks of Madurai district.

(ii) Technical Programme:

Cotton based cropping system

• July   : Field selection / Identification of beneficiaries

• August : Layout Demonstration to

• September & : Training on System operations

• October          :  Training on fertigation and maintenance

• Dec.  and Jan, :  Field visit

• Feb   :  Field Day

• March and April : Pulse Crop sowing, fertigation,  field day

• May, June, July : Maize sowing, fertigation,  field day

(iii) Beneficiaries:

• Farmers,
• line department officials,
• Self Help groups.

Deliverables (Supply of inputs / equipment etc to farmers):

• Seeds and water soluble fertilizers.
• Drip system with filters, Gate valve, pressure gauge,
• Fertigation Devices.

Measurable outcome:

• Technical know-how of drip fertigation system, operation and maintenance by the farmer itself.
• Implementation drip fertigation system for cropping system based approach in their farm.
• Acting as model farmers for the village so as to adopt the technology by other farmers and
• Increase in cropped area under drip system.

Contact:

The Dean,
Agricultural College and Research Institute,
Madurai- 625 104
Phone no: 0452-2422956
E-Mail: deanagrimdu@tnau.ac.in