Subsurface irrigation for lawns with advantage and disadvantage
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Sub-irrigation or sub-surface irrigation system
Sub-irrigation or sub-surface irrigation system may be natural or artificial. Natural sub-surface irrigation is possible where an impervious layer exists below the root zone. Water is led into a series of ditches dug up to the impervious layer which then moves laterally and then vertically through capillaries and saturates the root zone. In artificial sub-surface irrigation, perforated or porous pipes are laid underground below the root zone and water is led into the pipes by suitable means. In either case, the idea is to raise the water table so that plant root can get water by capillary movement. This method is suited to soils having reasonably uniform texture and permeable enough for water to move rapidly both horizontally and vertically with and for some distance below the crop root zone.
Advantages
i. It is a permanent and efficient method of irrigation.
ii. Evaporation loss of irrigation water is minimum.
iii. Sub-irrigation does not interfere with the cultural operations.
iv. No wastage of land.
v. The pipes may be used for drainage in artificial sub-surface irrigation.
vi. No possibility of accumulation of salts crust formation on surface soil.
vii. No possibility of soil erosion.
viii. Loss of nutrient by leaching is minimum.
Disadvantages
i. Initial cost is high.
ii. The neighbouring land gets damaged due to seepage.
iii. The use of this method is very limited as it requires special soil condition.