Drip irrigation cost per acre in India Rs 45k

Hello farmers, today we are sharing the importance of irrigation. Drip irrigation cost per acre in India is approximately Rs 45k to Rs 60k as per the need. Drip irrigation cost varies according to the materials, farm dimension, soil, crop selection and water requirements.

With good materials, one can install a drip irrigation system within Rs 45k to Rs 60k as per the need. We have shared the drip irrigation cost for 1 acre i.e Rs 45,900. You can also catch the information about subsidies in the lower portion of this post.

What is drip irrigation?

Irrigation is a method of delivering water to plants in a controlled way. In the drip irrigation system pipes, valves, emitters, and tubing are used to deliver the controlled water in the form of drops. Trickle irrigation is also known as drip irrigation.

This irrigation consists of a network of pipes of small diameters responsible to deliver water directly to the nearest soil from the plant. The system also supplies essential nutrients to the plant. This irrigation system is popularly known as tapak vidhi in India and also is famous as micro or localized irrigation

Types of irrigation in India

Irrigation is of two types: flat irrigation and drip irrigation. Flat irrigation is a normal irrigation type in which farmers used to irrigate their farms from tube wells, stored water tanks, rainwater tanks, fluid water, etc. Whereas drip irrigation is a special method of irrigating crops and is famously used for saving water.

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Drip irrigation in Hindi is known as ‘tapak vidhi’ in this method each and every plant gets sufficient water, unlike other irrigation methods. This irrigation saves a lot of water by providing plant-to-plant water in a form of drops through a long pipeline installed nearby the plants. Thus it saves a lot of water and to get benefited in long run one must bear the drip irrigation system cost once.

As you provide sufficient fertilizer, do not overfertilize your plants the same thing should be done with water, don’t ever overwater your crops this will slow down the growth of the crops. Many farmers think they will provide extra water to the plants and plants will thrive faster and healthier but it is not true it is actually a myth.

If you drink over water then it may cause some problems to your body. The same thing happens with plants and crops so be careful while providing water and fertilizer to your plants. When we talk about calculated water, the first option that comes to mind is tapak vidhi, hence it is recommended to use drip irrigation system for better yield per acre or per hectare.

Types of pipes

There are various types of pipes but mostly four types are used for this irrigation.

Drip lateral pipe 16mm (Outline drip)

Inline irrigation pipe 

Turbo slim drip pipe

Inline drip pipe –  sugarcane, cotton farming, pepper farming

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How drip irrigation system works

Water drips directly into the soil resulting in preventing soil loss due to evaporation. 

By selecting the flow rates correctly permeation can be minimized.

The drip method provides a moist environment directly to the root and keeps the rest of the plant dry resulting in optimal growth of the plant and also helping to prevent plant disease.

By installing drip irrigation systems the quantity of water and exact water application can be controlled and monitored resulting in the minimization of weed growth. 

Drip installation is worth it because it increases water efficiency.

While calculating drip system versus sprinkler system drip systems are 90% efficient and sprinklers are 75%. Thus clearly drip method is far better than sprinklers.

Advantages

There is the various advantage of drip irrigation in agriculture some of the important advantages are given below: 

• The system saves water and time through the drip method.
• Providing water through unorganized pipes on one-acre land results in a waste of water and time. By using drip irrigation in the same amount of water, one can easily provide water to 3-acre land instead of 1 acre thus saving lots of water.
• Due to evaporation or runoff water loss is very little in this system. This is one of the main advantages of drip irrigation over sprinkler irrigation systems.
• This type of irrigation system supports the mulch technique because it soaks the soil and does not wash the mulch away. 
• In this irrigation system, 90% of water is consumed by the ground whereas only 30% of water goes into the ground in other spray irrigation systems. 
• According to the environment protection agency, this irrigation can easily save up to 30,000 gallons of water per year. 
• The water-soluble fertilizer option prevents labour and fertilizer cost.

Drip irrigation price and benefits

• 1 acre drip irrigation price would be between Rs 45,000 to Rs 60,000 as per the brand and material.
• Existing soil sensors can be easily implemented.
• One of the main advantages is whenever soil moisture level drops below the threshold plants are irrigated immediately by the drip system. 
• It helps to reduce weed development.
• It keeps the soil atmosphere cool and wet which does not allow air to sortie the dust.
• Pesticides and fertilizers applications are combined with irrigation systems which are helpful for farmers.
• The system also increases crop production in dry, saline, low-quality, low-drainage soil.
• Due to one-time installation, it becomes a lot cheaper in long run, compared to other irrigation due to water-saving quality. 
• By having a drip irrigation setup farmers can stop the irrigation at any time which not only saves water but also prevents overirrigation. 
• Remember, over-irrigation doesn’t mean your plants with thriving earlier or healthier instead plants may collapse due to overwatering, and this method provides a controlled water system. 
• Drip irrigation cost per acre in Tamilnadu, Maharashtra or Gujarat depends on their local market however the installation difference might be minor.
• This irrigation system can be easily installed on various kinds of soil and different types of crops thus it can increase the production of poor soil and low-value crop.
• The system increases the production of land containing rich soil and high-value crops in multiplications. 

Recommendations

The schedule is given below as per the season.

Summers – Irrigation is required every other day in summer.

Winters – The drip irrigation water requirement per acre for the farm is once a week in winter. 

Spring – Once a week in heavy rainfall regions and in low rainfall regions twice a week in the spring/fall season. 

Generally, vegetables and crops require 1 to 1.5-acre inches of water every week. In excessively hot and windy seasons you can provide more than 1.5 inches of water per week as per the plant requirements. 

Two system types

Include mainly two types: Surface drip systems and subsurface drip systems. 

Surface system – This type contains an emitter and lateral pipes on the soil surface. This system is useful for wide-spaced plants and row crops. The surface drip system is commonly used and it is a popular type of irrigation system. Emitters installed on the surface provide an easy emitter cleaning facility which makes this system easier. 

Subsurface system – This type of system does not provide the facility of on-surface installation instead the laterals are placed below the ground near the plant roots area. Water is transferred slowly through the emitters below the surface area. Subsurface systems do not interfere with crop cultivation due to below-surface installation. This system is widely accepted by farmers and is used for long-operational farming. 

Setup requirments

During the drip irrigation installation process, you should be aware of some important points such as, correct emitters quantity, poor or no filtration, incorrect pressure, bad placement and not proper zoning. All these important steps are discussed below. 

Role of emitters

There are various types of emitters in drip irrigation systems. Farmers should involve a sufficient amount of emitters so that they can ensure whether plant roots are getting the required water or not. You should install more than one emitter for one plant this will reduce the collapse of the plant in case of emitter clogging. However, for a smaller plant, 1 emitter is enough but use a clogging disk to prevent the risk. Farmers are doing the same mistake of not including a sufficient amount of required emitters. Remember, the more emitters the happier plant is due to proper water fulfilment. 

Pressure regulator

The use of a good pressure regulator is necessary for operating drip irrigation in the right manner. In the above paragraph, we said to use more emitters that doesn’t mean you will use too many emitters on a single line this is a wrong practice resulting in a lack of water pressure which may automatically lead to clogging. Be informed ample pressure plays an important role in this system. In case of no pressure or streaky pressure your drip system may fail and plants may suffer from water lacking problems.

Proper drip emitters placement 

Do not place emitters too close or too far, it is a bad practice. Correct emitter placement is required for ensuring sufficient water for plants. Place the emitter minimum of 6 inches from the base of the plant and pick the parallel space along with the plant. 

Filtration system 

Filters play an important role and filtered water is good for crop health. A filter mesh screen of at least 155 is best for the system. 

Multiple zones

By zoning a drip system you can easily separate plants having different water needs. By installing 3 separate systems for trees, shrubs, and dry plants you can effectively provide the needed water to the plant depending on the size and nature. You can also separate the zones according to the different types of soils and sizes of plants. 

Different costs for different crops

The installation cost may be different for different crops depending on how much space they acquire. For example, drip irrigation cost per acre for arecanut will be lesser than the cost for mango because arecanuts are thinner and smaller in comparison to mango trees so less amount of pipe is required for installation. Similarly, drip irrigation cost for 1 acre sugarcane will be different in comparison to coconut trees.

How to install drip irrigation

A water source with a flow of 2 to 5 gallons per minute with 30 to 40 pounds of pressure is preferable. While using a rain barrel for an increase in pressure raise the barrel.

The irrigation area should be as close as the water source. 

⅝ inch or ¾ inch house can be used. Verification is required for the layout area to be irrigated. 

Avoid buying mixing brands of equipment such as fittings, hoses, and emitters. The selection of good emitters plays a vital role in the drip irrigation systems in agriculture. Emitter clogging is an old and major problem in the drip system so be aware of the clogging problem and always arrange extra emitters in case of replacement due to emitter clogging. 

Drip irrigation subsidy system

Subsidy depending on farmer category is given below:

Marginal farmers (2.5-acre dry land or 1.5-acre wetland) –  subsidy ratio 90%

Small farmers (5 acres dry land or up to 2.5-acre wetland) –  subsidy ratio 90%

Other farmers (5-acre dry land or above 2.5-acre wetland) –  subsidy ratio 80%

Farm eligibility for subsidy

Farmers withholding up to 2 to 2.5 acres of dry land or 1.5 acres of wetland are counted as marginal farmers and eligible for a 90% subsidy.

Farmers withholding up to 5 acres of dry land or 2.5 acres of wetland are defined as small farmers and eligible for a 90% subsidy.

Farmers withholding above 5-acre dry land or above 2.5-acre wetland are counted as other farmers and eligible for an 80% subsidy. 

Farmer’s eligibility

Schedule caste farmers – 16.05 % of the total financial target.

Scheduled Tribes farmers –  9.55 % of the total financial target.

BC farmers – Not less than 25% of the total financial target. 

SF or MF farmers – Not less than 50% of the total financial target is covered by small or marginal farmers.

Other farmers – Not exceeding 10% of the financial target can be covered by other farmers (withholding 5-acre lands).

Government subsidy for drip irrigation in India

The government subsidy for drip irrigation in India is available under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana well known as PMKSY. A beneficiary can avail of the benefits of irrigation subsidy for up to 5 hectares of land. Under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) central government is keen to give 35 to 45% irrigation subsidy and the rest will be provided by the state government. Farmers can claim a maximum of Rs 1 lakh per hectare under this subsidy scheme.

Drip irrigation cost in India

The cost of a drip irrigation system depends on various factors such as crop type, soil quality, water quality, sowing pattern, types of terrain, uneven ground, yard size, large trees on the way, drip material quality and design of the drip irrigation system.  

Cost of drip irrigation per acre varies on different factors including crop planting. The drip installation cost for crops planted 6 x 6 might be Rs 35 thousand per acre. However, mostly drip irrigation cost for 1 acre of land varies between Rs 45,000 to 60,000 in India. 

Components required for setup

There are mainly five components used:

Filter – Sand filter, Hydroclean filter. 

Sub pipeline

Ball valve

Drip pipeline 

Flush valve

Project Report

Drip irrigation cost for 1 acre. 1 acre = 43560 square feet (63 meter). and 1 feet = 0.30 meter. Length of land = 208 feet. The breadth of land = 208 feet. Sand filter cost = Rs 3500. Sub pipeline 208 feet.  For installing sub pipeline 2 inch PVC pipe is required. 2-inch PVC pipe cost for 20 feet = Rs 575. 2-inch PVC pipe cost for 208 feet = Rs 5750. Now let’s calculate the drip line cost per acre. For a 4 x 4 feet drip pipeline total of 52 pipelines required. Length of land divided by 4. Length of land = 208 feet divided by 4 = 52 lines. 16 mm 40 cm 300-meter coil cost = Rs 1000. 1 acre = 11 coil. Length of 1-acre land = 63 meter. Total line = 52. 63 meter x 52 = 3,276 meter = 11 coils. Buying 11 coils together = Rs 26,000. Now add the below-given materials with single drip pipelines for 52 lines. 1 grow mate = Rs 2.5 per piece therefore.  1 take up = Rs 2 per piece. 1 end cap = Rs 1 per piece. 1 joiner = Rs 2 per piece.  1 straight connector with tap = Rs 5 per piece.   Now multiply the above figure by 52 lines therefore. Rs 2.5 x 52 lines = Rs 130. Rs 2 x 52 lines = Rs 104. Rs 1 x 52 lines = Rs 52. Rs 2 x 52 lines = Rs 104. Rs 5 x 52 lines = Rs 260. By adding all = Rs 650. Drip irrigation material cost.  Flush valve = Rs 100. Ball valve = Rs 300. 16 mm drill cost = Rs 100. Drip venturi price = Rs 1500. Labour cost = Rs 5000. Company survey cost = Rs 5000 (depends on the company). 1 acre drip irrigation price = Rs 45,900. Note – The price may vary according to your plot dimension. It also differs according to various crops and drip irrigation per acre cost might fall between Rs 45,900 to Rs 55,000 depending on your crop selection.

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