Advantages & Disadvantages of Furrow Irrigation

For agriculture, water is very important. Irrigation is a valuable way to supply water in agriculture. Among various types of irrigation type, furrow irrigation is a popular one. To help you to decide before selecting an irrigation type to fulfill your purpose, we will describe the advantages and disadvantages of furrow irrigation in this article.

First of all you can read the definition of furrow irrigation provided in the article- What is Furrow Irrigation? Suitability, Planning, Steps. 

Furrow irrigation is a method of laying out the water channels in such a way where gravity plays the role of providing just enough water for suitable plants to grow. It is usually made by the planned placement of ridges and furrows. It is a kind of surface irrigation system.

Advantages of Furrow Irrigation

The followings are the major advantages of furrow irrigation.

• A quick mass area irrigation is possible.
• Time and Labour saving method.
• Low investment required to buy equipment.
• This is a cost-efficient method as it minimizes water loss of gravity irrigation system.
• The unit cost of pumped water is lower which saves money.
• Recirculating irrigation runoff water is possible.
• It is possible to reduce chemical leaching in furrow irrigation.
• Higher crop yields can be ensured through proper furrow irrigation practices.

Disadvantages of Furrow Irrigation

The followings are the disadvantages of furrow irrigation.

• Hassle maintaining water flow. Experience and soil surface evaluation is required to set the number of gates opened or tubes set. Otherwise slow water advance or surface runoff can occur. 
• Not Suitable for sandy soil. 
• Salts are accumulated in ridges of soil between the furrows. Re-plowing the field for each new crop can redistribute the accumulated salinity.
• The movement of farm equipment is difficult in the furrow fields.
• Initial filed preparation labor cost is high.
• Not suitable for some crops.

 Read More:

• What is Furrow Irrigation? Suitability, Planning, Steps
• Furrow Irrigation Equipment
• Furrow Irrigation Importance
• What is Surface Irrigation? How Does It Work, Types