Why more farmers do not use more efficient irrigation techniques?

Why more farmers do not use more efficient irrigation techniques?

Efficient irrigation as a measure of sustainable water use has limits in agriculture because it often drives intensification that can, in turn, lead to problems like over-tilling, poor soil health, erosion, overuse of fertilizers and pesticides and greater water use, all of which undo efficiency gains.

How might a farmer avoid nutrient depletion and the need for fertilizers and still plant crops year after year?

Planting Field Buffers: Farmers can plant trees, shrubs and grasses along the edges of fields; this is especially important for a field that borders water bodies. Planted buffers can help prevent nutrient loss from fields by absorbing or filtering out nutrients before they reach a water body.

What happens when a farmer uses too much fertilizer?

If a farmer uses too much fertilizer, then this extra nitrogen will have to travel to different reservoirs of the nitrogen cycle (for example, surface water, soil, or plants). For example, too much nitrogen in the soil could cause a plant to die. Too much nitrogen in a lake could cause an algae-bloom (and a fish kill).

How does low yield affect farmers?

Declines in yields result in a relative reduction in spending power by households which might otherwise have used cash from the sale of produce to buy basic items like soap and paraffin and to hire occasional labour, or to purchase inputs such as seed and fertilizer as well as agricultural implements.

How did irrigation improve agriculture?

In areas that have irregular precipitation, irrigation improves crop growth and quality. By allowing farmers to grow crops on a consistent schedule, irrigation also creates more reliable food supplies. Modern irrigation systems use reservoirs, tanks, and wells to supply water for crops.

How can agriculture improve water use efficiency?

Summary of ways to improve water-use efficiency

1. Reduce conveyance losses by lining channels or, preferably, by using closed conduits.
2. Reduce direct evaporation during irrigation by avoiding midday sprinkling.
3. Reduce runoff and percolation losses due to overirrigation.

How do farmers protect the environment?

Buffer Zones. With buffer zones, farmers plant strips of vegetation between fields and bodies of water such as streams and lakes. These plants help keep soil in place, keeping soil out of the water source. Buffer zones also act as a filter for water that flows from the field to the waterway.

What causes low yields?

Plant density: One of the major causes of low crop yield is low plant population because number of productive plants per unit area determines crop yields. There is a wide difference between yield of irrigated crops and barani crops. Deficient rains and continuous drought cause tremendous losses to farmers.

What do farmers use to increase the yield of crops?

Proper Irrigation Farmers who aim to increase an average crop yield per acre on their fields must have a streamlined irrigation system at hand. Providing the plants with the appropriate amount of water directly affects the development of plants and, consequently, the crop yields.

Why does irrigation increase crop yields?

Irrigation has the potential to provide higher yields than rainfed agriculture but water requirements are also much higher. underground irrigation of the root zone by means of porous pots or pipes placed in the soil; and. sub-irrigation, in which the groundwater level is raised sufficiently to dampen the root zone.