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15ECONOMIC SCIENCES
DRIP IRRIGATION AND ITS INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN ARMENIAN AGRICULTURE.
Manucharyan M.
Ph.D. in Economics Research Associate, M. Kotanyan Institute of Economics National Academy of Science, Republic of Armenia, Lecturer, Chairs of Economics of Agro-food System and Agrarian Policy and Consulting Armenian National Agrarian University
Abstract
The article states that the most effective and acceptable method of perennial plantation is drip irrigation that creates the best water, air and nutrition regimes in the soil. Experience shows that the most suitable depth of moisture is 1.8-2.0 m. Obviously, in the case of drip irrigation, the favorable depth of soil moistening is conditioned by the mechanical composition of the soil and the tree type and age. Considering that drip irrigation is more expensive than conventional methods of watering, it is necessary to use it with maximum efficiency, and only where it is indispensable.
Keywords: agriculture, drip irrigation, crop yield, moisture, water, technologies, polyethylene pipe, soil type
The crop yield in agriculture is largely characterized by the level of applied agro-technical and ameliorative measures. It is characterized by certain factors necessary for the life of a plant, water and nutritional supplements.
Not enough natural moisture zones, as a rule, the primary factor of crop yield is water. When irrigation is solved by the problem of sufficient moisture content in the soil, the second problem - the lack of nutrients, are supplemented by fertilization.
In the case of the right choice of irrigation method, strict adherence to the irrigation norms and proper agro technology, one can increase productivity several times [1].
Thus, the proper organization of irrigation process, introduction of new water-intake technologies and the creation of automated control systems are essential for the efficient use of agricultural crops, irrigation water and irrigated land. In the practice of irrigated agriculture, different methods of watering are used. Currently, the most effective and acceptable method of perennial plantation is drip irrigation that creates the best water, air and nutrition regimes in the soil.
Some changes in climatic conditions are noticeable in Armenia over the last decade, including drought intensification, substantial reduction of water resources, uneven distribution of annual precipitation. If we add to all these social, economic, natural complex conditions, and especially the meteorological predictions, it is obvious that it is required to introduce and disseminate new irrigation technologies in different regions of the country to withstand the above-mentioned adverse processes. From this perspective, one of the most advanced methods of irrigation practices currently used in irrigated agriculture is the drip irrigation, one of the most effective and promising methods of watering in the world, with the use of which the best airway and nutritional modes for the plant are created. The most important feature of drip irrigation is that localized
moistening of the soil is carried out immediately on the rootstock of each plant, with separate small surfaces.
Drip irrigation is done through a low pressure system. The latter is a small diameter (12 ... 25 mm) polyethylene pipe, with a length of which is mounted on various aqueous nozzles, from which the water is supplied to the root system of each plant through droplets. Due to the small diameter of the water pipe and the low productivity of the sinking, the name of this mode of water is conditioned. Due to the small diameter of the water pipe and the low productivity of the sinking, the name of this mode of water is conditioned. Due to the small diameter of the water pipe and the low yields of the sinking, the name of this mode of water is conditioned [2].
Drip irrigation as a new method of watering has been tested in the United States in 1860. subsoil irrigation pattern. In this case, the submerged clay pipes are pumped through the pump and transferred to the soil as moisture. Drip irrigation was first licensed in the United States by Nichols Clark in 1874 [5].
Drip irrigation was first developed and implemented on an industrial scale, as an independent type of irrigation in Israel, in the early 1960s [3].
The story that gave rise to this kind of irrigation, tells that a farmer noticed that near the flowing, faulty tap, from which water dripped, the weed vegetation was very luxuriantly expanded, while nearby, where the water flowed continuously along the irrigation ditch, the vegetation was less dense! The farmer began to think why this is so, where only a drop of water, the grass grows thicker than on a constant watercourse. And since the water in Israel is very expensive and it is not enough, he began to experiment, watering a small area very sparingly, with drops, but always without interruptions, and made sure that the harvest was higher [6].
Further studies of this method by specialists have already led to the creation of a drip irrigation method -drip irrigation.
No one knows exactly how true this story is, but the results are evident from the long experience of using drip irrigation in all countries with a hot climate and a shortage of irrigation water. This method is used for growing most types of agricultural products on soils of any type and with irrigation water of even the poorest quality.
Later on, drip irrigation studies and investments were widely disseminated in the United States, Great Britain, Australia, Israel, Italy, Tunisia and other countries. The study and application of drip irrigation systems in the territory of the former USSR began in 1973 in Ukraine (Crimea), Moldova, Armenia, Georgia and elsewhere. Later on, drip irrigation studies and investments were widely disseminated in the United States, Great Britain, Australia, Israel, Italy, Tunisia and other countries. The study and application of drip irrigation systems in the territory of the former USSR began in 1973 in Ukraine (Crimea), Moldova, Armenia, Georgia and elsewhere.
The first attempt of research and investment in drip irrigation systems in Armenia was carried out in 1973-1985. 1973-1989 Honored scientist Yervand Ste-pan Akopov has played a distinct role in the research and implementation of drip irrigation in Armenia. The studies and studies of drip irrigation areas that were interrupted in Armenia in the early 90s were partially resumed in 2002, mainly with funding from international programs.
Many today present drip irrigation simply as an irrigation system that saves water. With this we can agree, if we consider drip irrigation, as an irrigation system. Pumping station with devices for compulsory water treatment, plastic pipelines supplying water to irrigated farming areas, irrigation pipes - hoses laid along rows of plants and droppers - water discharges that give water and fertilizers or herbicides dissolved in it to each plant with precise and small norms from 2 to 8 liters per hour, such an irrigation system really saves up to 50% of water and allows increasing yield to 20-40%. However, in fact, drip irrigation is a new, progressive technology of farming.
Here, for example, some figures on the average crop yield of agricultural crops on drip irrigation [6]:
• Cotton - 50-55 c / ha with water consumption of 3.5-4.5 thousand m3 / ha. Record harvests in experimental areas (in dozens of hectares) - 70-80 c / ha.
• Corn (sweet) - a green mass of 120-130 t / ha, the cobs are 25-32 t / ha.
• Tomatoes (for industrial processing) - 130-140 t / ha in open fields, up to 500 t / ha in greenhouses.
• Vineyards - 450 q / ha.
Root system with drip irrigation develops better than with any other method, near the moistening roots are thicker, i.e. the plant does not spend energy and weight on the growth of roots deep into the water, but develops in conditions of its constant presence in the upper fertile layer, at the optimum depth for each plant. When switching from other types of irrigation to a drop, the process of adaptation of the plant occurs quickly and painlessly.
The analysis of existing multi-year experiments on drip drops as well as numerous studies and surveys shows that the advantages of this method are as follows [4]:
S Water between the plants is distributed equally, the water is given slowly, directly to the roots of the plant.
S According to the climatic conditions, irrigation water is saved at 30-60%,
S The best aviation conditions are created at the root of the plant,
S The yield of agricultural crops increases by 20-50%, the quality of the crop grows,
S Land fertilizers are given with water, the efficiency of processing fertilizers reaches 80% of the crop, S The transfer area remains dry, S The need to fight against the herb decreases. S The low slope can be used anywhere, with the help of complex,
S Dangerous irrigation drainage is completely excluded,
S Loss of water pollution and evaporation losses,
S The soil does not condense, the surface is weakened, it is fragile and "breathes",
S The main water level remains unchanged, S Automation of water distribution and drainage processes is possible,
S Labor productivity increases.
The main drawbacks of drip irrigation are:
> Requires large capital investments, but at the same time, this method of watering can lead to greater profitability and justify investments in a short period (2-3 years)
> It is an energy source and it is desirable to use natural gas in Armenia.
> There is a special requirement for water quality, especially the presence of dependent particles in water,
> Large spending is required for system maintenance and effective operation,
> Not regulated by microclimate.
One of the major issues of drip irrigation technology is the determination of the effective volume and location of the moistening furnace, i.e. the determination of the required depth of soil moistening and the location of the dispensers in which the plant or tree can be provided with sufficient moisture. The formation of moisture in the ore is conditioned by the quantity of supplied water, algae norm, moisture source, leakage, location of the root system of the plant.
Experience shows that the most suitable depth of moisture is 1.8-2.0 m. Obviously, in the case of drip irrigation, the favorable depth of soil moistening is conditioned by the mechanical composition of the soil and the tree type and age [5].
The table illustrates the soil moistening outlines for the most frequently encountered soil types in the Republic of Armenia in case of drip irrigation.
Table 1.
Appropriate parameters for drip irrigation watering technology of fruit orchards [1]_
Soil type Water norm The depth of moistening of the soils, m Watering duration, hour Number of pipettes according to tree age, pcs
l / tree Age of trees, year
3 4-8 >8
Light sandy clay 150-200 2-4 1 2 3
Middle sandy clay 500-600 7-11 1 1-2 2
Heavy sandy clay and clay 700-900 1,5-2,0 8-14 1 1 1
In irrigation conditions, an efficient water, air and food regime for the plant is created not during the process of watering, but in the intermediate time, i.e. when the soil contains enough water available for the plant and sufficient amount of air for the root system to breathe.
Therefore, the most effective and appropriate conditions for plant growth and development can be created through frequent and shorter duration of watering.
The main advantage of sub-ground drainage hoses is that they are not damaged during the installation, assembly or regulation of the network at the beginning and end of the annual irrigation period. Subsoil placement of drainage hoses greatly reduces the moisture content of the surface of the soil, thereby preventing the growth of weeds and reducing the evaporation losses.
Combining these advantages with the remaining advantages of drip irrigation, in some cases justifies the expediency of the use of the underground drip irrigation system, despite the initial large capital investments.
The design of the sub-drip irrigation system should be carried out by highly qualified specialists, since the installation and operation of the system is almost excluded from the possibility of certain modifications or modifications.
One of the disadvantages of subterranean drip irrigation is that it cannot be done in vegetable crops in potable water or seedlings. In this case it is necessary to use an additional rainwater system.
The following baseline data are required for designing a drip irrigation system:
• Region, zone,
• Area plan,
• Surface of irrigated land,
• Irrigation source ribs (type, intermediate and mid-range distances),
• Land type.
It should be noted that the main material for drip irrigation systems is polyethylene, and its demand is
0.3-0.4 tons / ha for orchards and vineyards and 0.5-0.6 tons / ha for tilled crops and a share this material is 7080% of the total cost of the construction of drip irrigation. Hence the cost of equipment for drip irrigation is 0.7-1.0 thousand dollars per 1 hectare for gardens, 1.21.5 thousand dollars for vineyards and 2.0-2.4 thousand dollars for row crops.
Considering that drip irrigation is more expensive than conventional methods of watering, it is necessary to use it with maximum efficiency, and only where it is indispensable. This is primarily sloped lands where natural pressure can be used; sandy soils; land with already existing irrigation machinery and land with a lack of irrigation water. You should also take into account the cost of farmed crops.
REFERENCES:
1. Yeghiazaryan G. Irrigation Scientific-Production Management, Yerevan, 2003, page 21
2. Ghazinyan R., Navoyan G., Principles of design of drip irrigation systems for perennial plantings, Yerevan, 2015, 60 pages
3. Selected lectures of the course "Water Resources Management and Effective Irrigation Technologies" / The State of Israel, Center for International Cooperation in the Field of Agricultural Development. Training center in kibbutz Shfayim, 2005. - 79p.
4. Drip irrigation. Requirements for the quality of irrigation water. irrigation.org.ua/p=360
5. Microirrigation for Crop Production, Volume 13: Design, Operation and Management (Developments in Agricultural Engineering) [Hardcover]. Freddie R. Lamm (Editor), James E. Ayars (Editor), Francis S. Nakayama (Editor) 2010- http://www.ama-zon.com/dp/
6. http://www.kaicc.ru/novoe-v-apk/peredovoj-opyt/kapelnoe-oroshenie
