Basic Knowledge in Agriculture #48

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• What do you understand by Irrigation systems

The word "irrigation" originate from the Latin word irrigatio which means "a watering" .
Irrigation is water moving to plants, not by the rain, but by human hands or tools. It means giving the soil what nature sometimes forget to give. For me it is like one bridge that connect aqua (water) with the crops. Farmers use it so the land, or like the Romans say terra, doesn’t dry and crack when the sun is too strong. Sometimes rain come late, sometimes it don’t come at all, and that’s why irrigation system stay important. I see it like a farmer’s way of carrying life into the roots. If there was no irrigation, so many farms especially in dry ground would just stay empty.

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• Discuss on the types of Irrigation systems

There are many ways and obviously more than one way to practice irrigation, and people choose them depending on the land and the type of crops they grow.

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•Surface irrigation:

One of the oldest and most easy one is surface irrigation. You just let the water flow on the land surface. They make small canals and water moves by gravity, nothing too complex, but sometimes water is wasted if the land is not flat.

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•Drip irrigation:

This one is very smart and gentle. Water is given drop by drop near the plant root, so nothing is wasted. The aqua is controlled so carefully like feeding a baby slowly. This method is often used by farmers who grow fruits, tomatoes, pepper and such crops that don’t need too much water at once.

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•Sprinkler irrigation:

Sprinkler irrigation look almost like fake rain. Pipes push the water into the air with pressure, and the drops fall on the crops. It’s nice because it reach a wide area at once. Sometimes, when I see it, it feels like a small rainfall inside the farm.

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•Subsurface irrigation

This one hides below the soil, water goes directly to roots from under the ground. It keeps the top soil not too wet, but the roots get what they need. Less water is lost through evaporation, but it can be costly to build.

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•Manual irrigation:

Also there is the very basic manual irrigation. Some farmers just carry buckets or watering cans. It takes more energy and time, but for a small farm or backyard garden it works fine. It remind me of how our forefathers watered their crops with simple tools.

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• What are the importance of Irrigation systems in Agriculture

When I think about irrigation, I see more than just water, I see survival of crops and survival of the farmer too. It is not only about plants drinking, but about people having food tomorrow.

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• First, irrigation makes sure crops don’t depend only on rain. Sometimes the rainy season delay, and without irrigation plants would just die. With this system, you can plant in dry season and rainy season both, which means more food.

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• Second, the yield goes higher. Plants that get enough water stay stronger and give better harvest. The agricola (farmer) gets more produce to sell and feed his family. Without good harvest there is no market, no income, no growth.

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• Third thing is the soil, what Latin call humus. When soil stays moist, it don’t turn hard like stone. Irrigation keeps the ground soft enough for roots to spread, and that helps crops to stand firm.

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• Fourth, irrigation reduces hunger. People in dry areas still eat because farms can grow food with water supply even when skies stay empty. It stops famine from spreading.

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• Lastly, cash crops like sugarcane, cotton, rice need plenty water. They cannot survive with small rain. Irrigation gives them a chance to grow. When farmers grow such crops, the economy of a region also grows.

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So irrigation is like the backbone of farming. In Latin they say aqua vita est, meaning water is life. I believe irrigation is the way that life travels from the farmer’s hands into the earth, into the seed, into the harvest. Without it, many farms would remain just dust.

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I invite @promisezella @etoro @kwinberry to participate in this contest

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Cc,
@hive-118902

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