Putative benefits of DI
| No. | Benefits | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Water use | Plot studies indicate sugarcane cultivation under DI uses 44 to 55 per cent less water than under flood irrigation |
| 2. | Electricity use | Water-use efficiency translates directly into reduced electricity use in fields which are irrigated by groundwater pumping. Electricity savings can be between 25 and 50 per cent |
| 3. | Fertilizer use | DI requires less fertilizer because flood irrigation washes away a substantial amount of the fertilizer that is applied to the crop |
| 4. | Crop yield | In experimental plots, it has been found that a 23 per cent productivity increase can be obtained by DI in sugarcane cultivation in Maharashtra |
| 5. | Drought resilience | As drip-irrigated sugarcane requires less water, the crop can be more effectively watered under drought conditions |
| 6. | Soil maintenance | Flood irrigation results in increasing soil salinity, and this has been verified in several sugarcane cultivation areas of Maharashtra |
| 7. | Labor use | DI requires less labor and, moreover, this can be planned in more convenient ways. For example, during field research, farmers indicated that flood irrigation sometimes has to be done at night when there is a heightened danger of animal attacks. |
| No. | Benefits | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Water use | Plot studies indicate sugarcane cultivation under DI uses 44 to 55 per cent less water than under flood irrigation |
| 2. | Electricity use | Water-use efficiency translates directly into reduced electricity use in fields which are irrigated by groundwater pumping. Electricity savings can be between 25 and 50 per cent |
| 3. | Fertilizer use | DI requires less fertilizer because flood irrigation washes away a substantial amount of the fertilizer that is applied to the crop |
| 4. | Crop yield | In experimental plots, it has been found that a 23 per cent productivity increase can be obtained by DI in sugarcane cultivation in Maharashtra |
| 5. | Drought resilience | As drip-irrigated sugarcane requires less water, the crop can be more effectively watered under drought conditions |
| 6. | Soil maintenance | Flood irrigation results in increasing soil salinity, and this has been verified in several sugarcane cultivation areas of Maharashtra |
| 7. | Labor use | DI requires less labor and, moreover, this can be planned in more convenient ways. For example, during field research, farmers indicated that flood irrigation sometimes has to be done at night when there is a heightened danger of animal attacks. |
Sources: Postel et al. (2001), Narayanamoorthy (2004), Surendran et al. (2016), World Bank (2006), own research
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