Drought

Irrigation is the most effective prevention (method) for drought losses. Beside having a yield stabilizing effect irrigation can also leads to substantial yield increases by optimizing the water requirements of the plants as well as cultivating two or three crops per year on the same plot in regions where temperatures are high enough.

Over the thousands of years of development of agriculture in specific regions different irrigation methods with the corresponding farming systems have developed. Here you find examples of irrigation systems in present and past agriculture.

1. Irrigation areas

Australia, Victoria: center pivots, a form of sprinkler irrigation, can be seen in the middle right.

Italy, near Verona: main irrigation channel receiving water from the "Adige".

2. Irrigation methods

2.1 Sprinkler irrigation

Germany, rhine plain: spinach

Italy: vine grapes

Bolivia: these micro sprinklers are introduced in smallholding farms as alternative to the traditional furrow irrigation. The water is provided by tubes from reservoirs located well above in order to have the sufficient water pressure.

2.2 Flood irrigation