The Top Five Misconceptions Regarding Subsurface Drip Irrigation

Agriculture drives economies, employment, and global food security. However, water and labor scarcity combined with recent farm economics have challenged farmers across the nation, making it more difficult for them to effectively run their operations. Water stress is becoming a bigger challenge, as weather, population increases, and regulation impact surface and ground water availability. Over the last decade, we’ve experienced significant restrictions on agricultural water usage impacting yields and revenue.

To address these challenges, we’ve seen an influx of innovation designed to drive efficiencies, and reduce costs. Subsurface Drip Irrigation (SDI) is one innovation that has the potential to change water delivery by providing the right amount of water and nutrients directly to crop roots at the right time. Despite demonstrating a substantial reduction in water usage, fertilizer usage, and energy consumption, SDI is not as widely adopted in agriculture as one might expect. Let’s explore a few reasons we have not seen widespread adoption.

1: If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it

On farm cultural practices are passed from one generation to the next. Previous generations have tended to their land for years and understand weather patterns, soil, and cultural practices. While true, the reality is methods that served previous generations can be improved to fit the modern agricultural landscape. In order to survive, farmers need to adapt.

While some have been ahead of the curve seeking out innovative new practices, many have been reluctant to implement changes. Approximately half (51%) of US farmers have adopted precision agriculture hardware. While we have seen more adoption over the last few years there is still efficiency to be gained. For SDI, awareness is commonly cited as a reason for not considering the benefits of implementation. Farmers may not always be looking for ways to improve irrigation if they have not been impacted by water scarcity. For decades, flood and pivot irrigation have been the default forms of irrigation in many geographies. Despite the lack of experience, SDI is becoming much more common in these geographies.

2. SDI requires a capital investment

Those who are familiar with SDI will often point to the installation costs as the barrier to entry. It’s easy to understand the hesitation when initial investments can exceed $2000 per acre. Flood and pivot systems don’t carry the same “sticker shock”. Often, a farmer only considers initial cost without consideration for the return on this investment.

The value beyond initial cost is significant. After installation, the reductions in water, energy, fertilizer, and labor lead to overall cost savings. The water delivery efficiency for SDI sits at 95% or higher as no drop of water is wasted, and potential water savings are over 25%, and even more in other high-water-use crops. SDI also gives farmers the ability to deliver nutrients and water precisely to crop roots contributing to higher yields and increased quality – positively impacting farm income.

Now, more than ever, government programs and corporate partnerships are available to help offset installation costs. This means farmers pay a fraction of the cost required to improve land value, drive yield increases, and reduce overall production costs. SDI creates a greater return on investment than other irrigation systems.

3. Out of sight, out of mind

Like anything new, operating a SDI system requires a learning curve. New processes, especially for farmers who’ve irrigated with previous technology for generations, may be intimidating. Unlike pivot and flood, SDI does not have the same visual cues that farmers have grown accustomed to. Water is delivered underground so you don’t see flooded fields or overhead watering. This can often lead to “over irrigation” as some farmers have grown accustomed to stopping the irrigation cycle when they see pooling water.

SDI delivers nutrients and water straight to the roots, completely eliminating water overflow so that the field may appear dry on the surface. When farmers switch to SDI they tend to over water their crops as they are accustomed to a visual cue letting them know when it’s time to stop the irrigation cycle.

4. SDI requires ongoing maintenance

While the underground nature of SDI is a significant benefit that protects the system from natural disasters such as hurricanes or tornadoes (which can cause enormous damage to pivot systems), it’s not without worry. Soil pests and equipment damage can lead to leaks that must be repaired to maintain irrigation efficiency.

While there is no magic solution, managing the problem can be done with the right strategies and dealer partners. Having the right support available to help address these challenges can help minimize the impact from these issues and expedite the learning curve.

5. Payback period varies depending upon the commodity

The benefits of SDI have been proven in high value crops such as tomatoes due to the quick ROI driven by lower labor costs and higher yields. Field crops such as alfalfa and cotton can experience the same benefits, but the ROI may take longer.

While changes can present a new learning curve to farmers, the benefits of SDI outweigh these perceived challenges. Most farmers who have made the transition to SDI recoup their investment in a few seasons. They are then able to improve efficiency, generating higher yields, lower costs, with less labor. Awareness and education are key for determining if your operation could benefit from new irrigation practices.