Comparative study of different irrigation system for cotton crop in District Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

The biggest responsibility of agriculture department is to produce food and cloth for huge population using the resource getting limited day by day. Water scarcity is most threatening among these limiting factors. New techniques are being developed day by day to increase the water use efficiency on farm level. Application of water directly in the plant root zone could save the water and curtail the losses pertinent to leach down and evaporation. Irrigation to soil does not control the climate variables and precipitation cannot be substituted to irrigation. Sprinkler irrigation system helps efficient utilization of water by using only when needed. This way not only losses made by leaching and evaporation are controlled but microclimate of the field is also ameliorated. Canals and tube well water is conventionally given to crop through flood irrigation. These fields are in direct threat of evaporation and leaching resulting in excess water losses and damaging the soil quality. The study was designed taking cotton as experimental crop to calculate comparisons in plant growth parameters and yields along with water saving ability of different irrigation system. Maximum income of Rs. 99403 was obtained from sprinkler irrigation while high yield of 990kg and 753 m3 in comparison to T4, 736 m3 in comparison to T3 and 113 m3in comparison to T2 was saved under drip irrigation system. The farmers are thus recommended to adopt sprinkler and drip irrigation system in order to get enhanced yields on sustainable bases and to curtail the water losses.