Literature Review

Literature Review Drip Irrigation also known as trickle irrigation is a modern type of irrigation system that involves the slow application of water and sometimes fertilizer directly into the soil through a system of small diameter plastic pipes with built-in outlets called emitters or drippers. It was first introduced in Guyana in October, 2006 at Mon Repos, ECD. This type of modern technology places a greater positive impact on the yields of cash crops in comparison to the traditional methods of irrigation. In addition, drip is also better for the environment since it conserves water which is critical during the El Nino weather conditions according former Minister of Agriculture Mr. Robert Persaud. The advantages of drip irrigation when compared to traditional methods of irrigation are numerous. According to Ahmet some of the advantages of drip irrigation are that whenever water resources are sparse and expensive a much larger highly-targeted zone can be watered instead of covering the whole field with water and also because the water zone is shadowed by the plant itself, evaporation is minimal and the consumption is lowered. In addition the vital moisture level in the root zone is sustained and the plant gets its water from the soil without using much energy which is important since it facilitates effective growth. Also the land between the plant rows remain dry and unwanted plant growth is prevented. Because of this dry soil surface, medication, harvest and transfer work can be executed more easily and with minimal effort (Ahmet, 2009). Moreover Mr. Baljit and Mr. Junior, two farmers that the researchers visited in Linden, agreed that the use of drip irrigation resulted in better quantity and quality of yields. They also agreed that the use drip irrigation saw crops maturing faster and like Ahmet it uses less water which meant a reduced cost of production. Drip irrigation also helps to eliminate the problem of water runoff since the foliage remains dry according to Dr. Michael Cahn. He said that much of this runoff is wasted and creates water quality problems in surface water supplies or in ground water supplies. He also hypothesized that drip irrigation may reduce the presence of E. Coli. His research found that strains of generic, non-pathogenic E. Coli survived up to two weeks in runoff water from sprinkler irrigated fields, while no E. Coli was detected in drip irrigated fields which had no runoff (Cahn, 2013).

Furthermore, drip irrigation results in a reduced cost of production since there is decreased water cost, fertilizer cost and pesticide cost because all three can be applied at the same time with only the precise amount required being emitted using the drip system. On the other hand drip irrigation can have some disadvantages as well. One of the major problems that this system may face is that drippers may get clogged and to avoid this water must be filtered and chemicals must be used to clean out the system which means that there is an additional cost in the maintenance of the drip irrigation system. Ahmet said that in addition to this because the surface is not watered with the drip irrigation method, there is certain degree of salting. To wash away this salt supportive surface watering methods must be employed, an additional cost to farmer. Junior also claimed that the initial cost is high and removal or resetting of the pipes is cumbersome. He said that besides this another disadvantage is that when the drip system is used in a large area it needs to be used in different sections so that it can be effective and it emits too much when it is on a slope. The researchers also found that Baljit had some difficulties with the drip irrigation system since he said it is only suitable for certain crops. Baljit also said that he found that the drip system was only effective when used for a short system since he had problem with the water pressure. The impact of the drip irrigation system in Guyana has been very important especially during the El Nino weather conditions in 2010. Dr. Oudho Homenauth outlined several techniques used to combat the effects of the dry season on non-traditional crops in Guyana during a forum held in 2010 at the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA). He said that application of water directly to the roots of the plant would avoid much of the water getting lost on the foliage and result in the plant roots reaching deeper in the soil. In addition, he advised the farmers to build up the organic matter in the plant and irrigate late in the evening when less moisture is lost to evaporation. He was also in favor of the use of drip irrigation and micro-sprinkling techniques were encouraged as against hoses and pumps (GINA, 2010). Moreover the Ministry of Agriculture also saw drip irrigation as the major method of combating the effects of the El Nino phenomena. They encouraged the use of drip irrigation by providing work shops for farmers to learn about the drip irrigation system and by also making provisions for the drip irrigation system to be set up in a few farming districts to allow a steady

flow of water through irrigation pipes which are placed on farms, closer to the plants. Mr. Persaud also said that the areas which are in the severest crisis will be given preference because the ministry has to give precedence to farmers who are really affected. Drip irrigation has also opened more avenues for crops to be produced more cheaply which is expected to increase exports according to Liran Peretz. He is expected to build a major farming facility on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway that is based on non-traditional crops. It will have all modern technologies in farming such as drip irrigation which will result in a reduced cost of production despite the high initial cost (Guyana Times, 2010).