IRRIGATION SYSTEM IN GREENHOUSE
A
well-designed irrigation system will supply the precise amount of water needed
each day throughout the year. The quantity of water needed would depend on the
growing area, the crop, weather conditions, the time of year and whether the
heating or ventilation system is operating. Water needs are also dependent on
the type of soil or soil mix and the size and type of the container or bed.
Watering in the green house most frequently accounts for loss in crop quality.
Though the operation appears to be the simple, proper decision should be taken
on how, when and what quantity to be given to the plants after continuous
inspection and assessment .Since under watering (less frequent) and over
watering (more frequent) will be injurious to the crops, the rules of watering
should be strictly adhered to. Several irrigation water application systems are
commercially used such as HAND
WATERING, DRIP WATERING, OVERHEAD SPRINKLERS, BOOM WATERING, MAT WATERING.
Under Watering Symptoms:-
Ø Plants
can wilt
Ø Plants
can look ok but stomatas are closed more than normal.
Ø Fruit
cracking
Ø Leaf
abscission
Ø Increase
of disease and pest damage
Over Watering Symptoms:-
Ø Lush
foliage, soft and susceptible to damage.
Ø Poor
in root aeration - increase in root rots.
Ø Increase
run-off more waste.
Ø Less
efficient use of nutrients
Ø Over-watering
can also result in stunted planting.
HAND WATERING
Ø
It is
most common but uneconomical and expensive system of watering but still is
followed where labour is cheap and scale of operation is rather small and
automation is not practiced.
Ø
Hand
watering requires considerable time and it is not pleasant work. But still it
is followed where crops is at high density like nursery production, seed flats
or pots.
Ø
Where
hand watering is practiced care should be taken that force of water should be
broken either by using fine rose spray or breaker at the end of pipe so that it
does not result in washing of root medium out of pots or bend and disturb
structure of root medium surface.
DRIP WATERING
Ø This system is highly suitable for
green house cultivation. There is a saving
of 50-70% of water in comparison to conventional system of watering. It
provides uniform distribution of water, nutrients, pesticides and fungicides
without wastage.
Ø Drip irrigation system delivers water to the crop using a
network of main line, sub mains, lateral line with emission point spaced at
regular interval along the length side. Each dipper or emitter supplies a
measured precisely controlled uniform application of water, nutrients,
pesticides, fungicides and growth substances directly into the root zone of
plant. Water and nutrient enter soil from emitters moving in root zone of
plants through combined forces of gravity and capillary.
Ø PVC pipe line is used for distribution of water from the main
source to sub-lines. Drip laterals of 12-16 mm are suitably placed in each row
of plants which are directly connected to sub lines. Drippers/emitters fitted
to the laterals are laid just near the plant for gradual distribution of water
upto the root of plants.
Ø There should be regular maintenance of pipes by adding
chlorine or other chemicals in drift line to kill bacteria and algae. Treatment
with acid is also needed to dissolve calcium carbonate. Care should be taken against
rodents to avoid any damage to pipes. Monitor the pipes thoroughly for any
leakage which should be done regularly.
Ø Drip
irrigation is the best means of water conservation. In general, the application
efficiency is 90 to 95%, compared with sprinkler at 70% and furrow irrigation
at 60 to 80%, depending on soil type, level of field and how water is applied
to the furrows.
Ø Drip
irrigation is not only recommended for protected agriculture but also for open
field crop production, especially in arid and semi-arid regions of the world.
One of the disadvantages of drip irrigation is the initial cost of equipment per acre, which may be higher than
other systems of irrigation.
OVERHEAD SPRINKLERS
Ø Green house crops are most easily and cheaply can be
irrigated from over-head. In this system pipes are hanged over the plant from
60 cm to 180 cm above the plants. Nozzles are fitted in the pipes at 360°
pattern. Care should be taken that the water should be of good quality and
properly filtered so that these nozzles are not clogged.
BOOM WATERING
Ø Boom
watering can function either as open or a closed system, and is used often for
the production of seedlings grown in plug trays. Plug trays are plastic trays
that have width and length dimensions of approximately 30 × 61 cm, a depth of
13 to 38 mm, and contain about 100 to 800 cells. Each seedling grown in its own
individual cell. Precision of watering is extremely important during the 2 to 8
week production time of plug seedlings.
Ø A
boom watering system generally consists of a water pipe boom that extends from
one side of a greenhouse bay to the other. The pipe is fitted with nozzles that
can spray either water or fertilizer solution down onto the crop.
Ø The
boom is attached at its center point to a carriage that rides along rails,
often suspended above the centre walk of the greenhouse bay. In this way, the
boom can pass from one end of the bay to the other. The boom is propelled by an
electric motor. The quantity of water delivered per unit area of plants is
adjusted by the speed at which the boom travels.
MAT IRRIGATION
Ø Mat irrigation offers a constant
supply of water to thirsty plants. A specialized mat, with water supplied by
drip lines, stays perpetually moist. When you place your pots on the mat, the
moisture wicks up from the mat and into the soil through the drainage holes.
Similar to self-watering planters, the soil continues to take water from the
mat until it is evenly moist. As the soil loses water to evaporation on the topsoil,
the wicking action continues at the mat level. You do not need to worry about
over- or under-watering your plants with this irrigation method.
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