Clay Pot Irrigation- A Review Study

Abstract

Water is the primary input for crop production and increasingly becomes scarce due to its high demand in agricultural sector. Quality of water is assuming great importance with the increasing demand in industries, agriculture and rise in standard of living. Agriculture is the major user (89%) of India’s water resources. However, dwindling of freshwater resources and deterioration of irrigation water quality due to its overuse to meet up the high demands in agriculture sector becomes the serious concern in sustainable crop production. Clay pot irrigation in its simplest form consists of unglazed baked clay pots, which are buried up to the neck in the soil and filled with water. This method is one of the most efficient systems of irrigation known and is ideal for many small farmers. Clay pot irrigation, a traditional system of irrigation alternative to drip method is the latest advancement and effective innovation of localized methods of irrigation and found suitable where water scarcity becomes major stress for crop production. It also helps to improve soil physical properties particularly the structural status in soil and also enhances the water use efficiency of the crop, soil organic carbon and builds up soil fertility.