Trends in Trickle Irrigation Systems Development

As water availability becomes an increasing constraint on food production, more attention must be given to exploiting crop characteristics such as tolerance of water scarcity or saline soils, and the development of efficient water application methods. Water application methods vary, among other things, in their efficiency of water use and related yield, capital investment, longevity of equipment, labour and associated high technology. Trickle irrigation is one method which has shown great promise in these respects. Consequently its usage has expanded exponentially in the last decade and now includes many field and orchard crops which were traditionally irrigated under sprinkler or surface irrigation methods. Water saving, the ease of implementation and related higher yields per unit of water and per unit of area are a few of the main characteristics of trickle irrigation success.