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Today we talk more about Drip Irrigation for agriculture to increase production and income.

How does it increase yield, production and profit from a crop? The following reasons contribute as factors.

- Farmer become more scientific and commercialised

- Reduce labour cost of irrigation and can substitute this labour for other field operations

- Save his limited supply of water and can extend his cultivation with the same quantity of water

- Reduce water loss from soil surface as evaporation, hence efficiency of water use increases

- Continuous and regulated supply of water to the plant, hence healthy plant growth reducing "gestation period" and increase plant's productive life

- Can keep the soil at "field capacity" hence no stress to the plant and no excess water as in the case of manual irrigation avoiding any strain to the plant

- Land development cost could reduce and limited land could be used for cultivation

- No soil erosion and no damage to the plant as in the case of manual watering

- Utilization of applied fertilizer could be increased avoiding any leaching

- Reduce weed growth in the crop fields to some extent.

- Fertigation is possible through the system for a highly intensive farmer There are some setbacks also

- Need high capital for installation.

- Clogging is possible thus increased cost of maintenance of the system

- Unavoidable damages by labour, pests and farm machines and if after sales services are poor the system becomes idle.

- Need an attitudinal change of the farmer regarding the plant water requirement etc.

- Crop rotation is limited.

- Selection of the drip system should be done properly. The companies do not consider available quantity and quality of water. They are more concerned with marketing their systems.

- Poor produce marketing systems make the returns poor and the farmer gets discouraged. Hence he is unable to recover his capital and settle loans.

- To get maximum benefits need to use other technologies such as good seeds, timely application of balanced fertilizer and pest & disease control and post harvest technologies as well.

Government assistance

Credit from Perennial Crop Development Projet on low interest

Credit from Kapruka Loan Scheme by Coconut Cultivation Board on subsidized interest and grace period.

- Chandrasiri Nanayakkara.

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