Does Drip Irrigation Save Water? I’ve Tested It!

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A well-designed drip irrigation system will help conserve plenty of water. The reductions in deep percolation, surface runoff, and evaporation from the soil estimate a 60-percent decrease in water consumption.

If you are currently using a drip irrigation system, you conserve water. This article will discuss how you save water and its other benefits when using this system.

Different Ways You Can Save Water Using Drip Irrigation.

1. Desalinating Saline Water For Drip Irrigation System

Saline water is mainly from the sea. This water is not suitable for human consumption. However, desalination to extract salt can make it usable in households. A simple distillation process, like boiling, will result in a decrease in the salinity of saltwater.

With drip irrigation, using distilled saline water will conserve drinking water. Utilize saline water near the ocean, for which there is an unlimited supply. The water is delivered to each plant, thus increasing the efficiency of its consumption.

2. Deep Percolation Reduction

Deep percolation is a hydrologic technique of downward water movement through the soil below the rooting zone of a plant. Deep percolation infiltrates water beyond 12 soil inches meaning more water gets absorbed.

Despite more water consumption into the soil, the technique is more useful in arid region for groundwater recharging. However, deep percolation in a drip irrigation system means more water is conserved because the system directs water to specific plants and the desired depths.

The good thing with drip irrigation is that the challenges of deep percolation are eliminated, leading to more water conservation in your garden.

3. Surface Runoff Reduction

You can realize significant water conservation if you have a well-installed and well-designed drip irrigation system in your garden. This approach will enable you to utilize water sufficiently by reducing runoff.

Drip irrigation reduces runoff and water loss by approximately 90%, allowing plants to absorb water. Moreover, this irrigation system minimizes contact between the stems, leaves of crops, fruit, and water. Essentially, drip irrigation minimizes runoff and is an economical and efficient way to water your garden.

4. Reduces Water Evaporation And Increase Moisture From The Soil

Use a drip irrigation system to ensure that your garden soil always has moisture. Drip irrigation in your garden will reduce evaporation and subsequent water loss from the ground. It would be best to consider utilizing a subsurface drip irrigation system instead of furrows.

Drip irrigation increases water saving in the soil while reducing the surface of the wetted area. Drip irrigation sits on the ground’s surface, which means minor water loss through evaporation. Your drip system should contain deeper burial and dripline spacings to increase efficiency and reduce water evaporation.

Fine mulch and other garden compost are crucial in reducing evaporation since they cover the areas of soil where the holes form the drip.

5. Reduce Overwatering Of Your Plants

Overwatering happens when you employ irrigation techniques, such as sprinklers, which pour excessive water onto the ground. With drip irrigation in your garden, you will save more water since you are only watering at the root zone. Your garden plants do not require excessive water but rather sufficient quantities for their growth.

Drip irrigation only releases water to specific plants meaning there is no wastage. Depending on the irrigated crop, drip irrigation delivers suitable water for plant consumption at particular reliable intervals. With this system, yields will attain the best growth conditions and will not suffer the effects of overwatering.

It reduces the surface area that gets wet; instead, it sends it deeper into the soil. This limits the surface area that can cause evaporation.

6. Directs Delivery Of Water To Stems, Leaves, And Fruits

Unlike other irrigation systems, drip irrigation saves water and prevents disease spread by directing water to specific parts of the crops. More water is conserved with drip irrigation because only specific plants and components are directed, unlike other systems where irrigation is random.

Moreover, you do not want diseases to invade your crops in the garden. This system of irrigation does both disease prevention and ensures the ground is moist to create favorable conditions for the plants to grow.

The most significant way drip irrigation conserves water is by directing it to the required places.

Water Is The Driving Force Of All Nature

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7. Increase Nutrients Consumption Of Plants

Drip irrigation conserves water by preventing penetration beyond the root zone of the plants. With water reaching the root area of the crops, the plants enjoy maximum nutrients while you save much water.

When water gets to the root area of plants, it means nutrients are delivered precisely in that region instead of being washed deeper to where nutrients are not absorbed.

8. Efficiency Of Drip Irrigation System

With the irrigation system being precise and targeting the right crop parts with measured quantities of water, you save so much. If you love keeping economically, then drip irrigation is the option. You can preserve both money, time, and water. You should consider installing this irrigation system in your garden and keep saving.

9. Reduces Physical Labor When Using A Drip Irrigation System

Drip irrigation means little water is required in your garden because it is done at intervals and on specific crops. Automating your drip irrigation system significantly reduces labor demand since you need less workforce to handle your system.

Reduced physical labor on watering your plants means you can tend to them in other ways.

10. Effectiveness Of Drip Irrigation Even On Rugged Terrains

Usually, rugged terrains require more water pumping to the grounds, especially uneven areas. However, with drip irrigation, you do not have to worry about the challenge of taking more water to uneven ground. You also do not have to worry about rough gardens with drip systems since you only require the same amount of water you could have used in flat gardens.

11. Significantly Less Waste Than Other Irrigation System

Drip systems use about a quarter of water over hand watering. With drip irrigation, 90% of water goes directly into the soil, and this prevents evaporation and the full soil area from getting wet

Approximately 10% of water gets lost through wind and evaporation.

12. Environmental Benefits Of A Drip Irrigation System

The effectiveness you attain from the drip system, as reflected by the amount of water going into the ground, means environmental conservation. For instance, you can use saline water for irrigation, transferring the saline nature to the soil instead of harming animals.

13. Directed Water Delivery Means Reduces In Soil Erosion

The soil will remain intact with drip irrigation, and water pumped into the ground for crop use is not wasted. Besides, drip irrigation prevents water runoff, meaning most water goes directly into the crops for use. Unlike other irrigation systems that suffer from erosion, which leads to more wastage, drip ensures little water goes to rivers and streams.

14. Deep and Slow Water Penetration

Through a slow and deeper water penetration into the soil, you can preserve much water for use on other plants. When water goes into the ground slowly, the crops can consume all that reaches them, unlike when overwatering. Besides, this system’s uniform watering of crops means using a little water to cover a large area and more watered crops.

You will not likely suffer any stress of wanting more water to irrigate other parts of the garden.

15. Weed Control

Using drip irrigation means there is no chance for weeds to grow and consume the water intended for the crops. Drip irrigation directs water directly into the crops; therefore, weeds cannot have any chance of absorbing the nutrient from the water.

There is curtailed germination by starving the weeds with water, and you can subsequently save on plowing costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a drip irrigation system?

Drip irrigation is an interconnected system of pipes, valves, tubings, and emitters. It provides controlled water and nutrient delivery from the source to the root zone of plants.

How does drip irrigation work?

Water and nutrients are delivered by pipes called ‘dripper lines. Each dripper emits drops containing water and nutrients, resulting in an efficient delivery to each plant.

What crops are perfect for drip irrigation?

Here are some common plants that are suitable for drip irrigation;
1. Orchard crops – Grapes, Banana, Orage
2. Vegetables – Tomato, Chilly, Cabbage
3. Cash Crops – Sugarcane, Cotton, Strawberry
4. Flowers – Rose, Carnation, Marigold

Is drip irrigation high maintenance?

Drip Irrigation is low maintenance; as long as you thoroughly check your system’s pipelines, ensuring no leaks and broken pipes, a minimum of yearly maintenance is advisable.

What can go wrong with using a drip irrigation system?

Poor drip irrigation system installation will result in shallow growth and plant death. Improper tube looping or installing a tiny quantity of water emitters will result in drought conditions.

Conclusion

The drip irrigation system will serve you well since it directs all the water to the desired areas and crops. Drip irrigation saves water by preventing overwatering, deep percolation, and erosion. It functions well in all types of gardens, notwithstanding the terrains. You should never be worried about drip irrigation because it is one of the most tried and tested irrigation in the world.

The numerous benefits of drip irrigation are something you want in your garden. All your plants will receive water directly on their root zone, fruits, and leaves, and you do not have to worry about weeds because they are starved and cannot compete for nutrients with your plants.