Assessment of micro irrigation technology on yield, water use, salinity, nitrate contamination in ground water in Rangareddy district of Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

Microirrigation is defined as the frequent application of small quantities of water on or below the soil surface as drops, tiny streams or miniature sprays through emitters or applicators placed along a water delivery lateral line. Microirrigation technologies today world wide including India are adopting in wide variety of crops viz, fruit and orchard crops, vegetables, flowers, commercial field crops, tuber & bulb crops, plantation crops, spices & condiments, forestry, nurseries, landscape etc. and under diverse situations such as arid, semi-arid, desert climates; problem soils etc. Marginal quality waters like saline water and agro industry effluents’ are also being used today successfully with drip irrigation for raising several crops. Recognizing the benefits of microirrigation technologies to farming community the Government of Andhra Pradesh has launched a large scale microirrigation project known as “Andhra Pradesh Microirrigation Project” (APMIP) on 3rd November 2003 with an initial target of 0.247 million hectares and a financial out lay of Rs.1187 crores. Since it’s commissioning in November 2003, the area coverage up to March’ 2010 under APMIP summed up to 0.420 million ha. Further APMIP being the first mega project in the world in terms of size involving small & marginal farmers with a land holding size of as low as 0.5 ha to 2 ha, it was intended to assess the impact of adoption of microirrigation technologies such as drip by beneficiary farmers in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India.