ADOPTION OF DRIP IRRIGATION IN SUGARCANE – A PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out to analyze the socio-economic status of the sugarcane growers who laid drip irrigation system to know their perception of advantages related with the
technology in sugarcane, and to identify the constraints in adoption by interviewing 60 growers from district Faisalabad. It was found that drip irrigation technology was popularized among the farmers of all income levels and low-income level was not a constraint for adoption of this technology due to loan arrangements from government institutions. The water saving measures apart from drip irrigation adopted by the respondents included trash mulching, application of
additional potash and alternate furrow irrigation. However, after adopting drip irrigation, all the respondents realized water and labor saving and 91.33 per cent farmers obtained higher cane yield than conventional flood irrigation with reduced impact of drought. On average, the respondents got 29.75 per cent increase in cane yield compared to normal irrigation methods. The constraints encountered by most of the respondents in adoption were clogging of drippers,
damage of lateral tubes during harvest, rat damage and poor after sales service. In spite of these constraints, all the farmers favored the continued adoption of this technology. The study also helps to get a better understanding of the performance of drip irrigation in farmer’s fields and their apprehensions of this fast-spreading technology in sugarcane.