DECODING IRRIGATION SYSTEM

Irrigation is the artificial process of applying controlled amounts of water to land to assist in production of crops. Irrigation helps to grow agricultural crops, maintain landscapes, and revegetate disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of less than average rainfall. In areas where rain doesn’t come regularly or when growing water-hungry crops, farmers are forced to get creative.

Importance:

• Proper irrigation systems can secure uninterrupted agriculture.
• The productivity of irrigated land is more than the un-irrigated land.
• Irrigation is essential for the general growth of the plant.
• Irrigation can play a protective role during the period of drought & famines.
• Irrigation systems deliver water very precisely to targeted areas, which saves water and money.

Irrigation System of Pakistan

Over 90% of the country's agriculture is dependent on the irrigation system. Unfortunately, the irrigation system of Pakistan is in hot waters. There are multiple factors which constitute the irrigation system of Pakistan for example rivers, canals, barrages, heads, dams, and tube wells.

Irrigation Systems

• Surface Irrigation: Surface irrigation is a simple system for watering crops. There must be a water source near the garden or farming area. Once the water is in the pipes, gravity will help the water flow to the growing area below. A huge amount of water is wasted due to evaporation in this technology.

• Sprinkler System: Sprinkler (spray irrigation) is the method of applying water in a controlled manner which is like rainfall. The water is distributed through a network that may consist of pumps, valves, pipes, and sprinklers. Irrigation sprinklers can be used for residential, industrial, and agricultural usage.

• Drip Irrigation: Drip irrigation is a type of micro-irrigation system which has the potential to save water and nutrients by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants. The goal is to place water directly into the root zone and minimize evaporation. This technology is very expensive.

• IOT-Based Smart Irrigation Systems: The combination of the Internet of Things (IoT) and AI technologies allow farmers to analyze real-time data of weather conditions, temperature, soil moisture, and plant health. This enables improved decision-making, reduced water wastage, and increased efficiency at farms.

Problems and issues of irrigation system in Pakistan:

The main problems and issues of the irrigation system in Pakistan are given below.

• Financial issues
• Improvement and upgradation
• Salinity and water logging issues
• water pressure issues
• Government policy
• Water losses in field

Conclusion

Pakistan has already been declared as a water stressed country. Therefore, modern ways like precision use of water in agriculture can solve water issues in Pakistan. With the use of smart controllers, and sensors in farms and farming machinery, IoT-based smart irrigation offers real-time data and analytics, which enables farmers to take corrective actions at the right time. Government research institutes and universities should design cheaper precision irrigation systems for small farmers in Pakistan. Currently, PMAS Arid Agriculture University has collaborated with the farm machinery industry in Pakistan to develop high efficient IoT based irrigation systems for the farming community.