Water, this five-letter word is such a significant thing without which no one can imagine their life. This is not only a matter but the source of life. It gives life to soil, life to the billions of creatures in the world, and outside too which we are unaware of. This is above the curiosity.
As curiosity is the base for any innovation, so is water-"The Innovation of life."
What is water ?
For a normal human being it is a plain, colorless, odorless, and tasteless substance which is used for drinking purpose and other household chores.
When we talk about farmers, the same water having the same properties has so much importance for it. Water is not just water but the lifeline for farmers. This is what you can say... is the input for farmers in the process of getting a good production.
In agriculture
Water is used to grow crops and plants. These are also helpful in raising and sustaining livestock farming. Not only this, water is used for irrigation, pesticides preparation, preparing food, cooling and clean-up. So adequate water supply is needed for fulfilling these requirements.
Plants growth depends on water which are affected by various factors such as geographical area, soil type, crop grown, weather conditions and seasonal changes.
Even water characteristics also depend on the area of location. We get different qualities and quantities of water. This makes the location favorable for some crops and not for others.
Our country India is the mixture or combination of different regions having varying water availability and qualities from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, and Arunachal Pradesh to Gujarat. Thus, we get the varied fruits and vegetables.
Source of water
Have you ever thought !! about the sources of water for farming?
Generally, this thought is vanished in the word water itself. But this is not the reality. Not all water is suitable for agriculture, or livestock farming.
Today, we will be focusing on water sources for agriculture.
Below mentioned are the sources of water:-
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| One of water source |
Rainwater :
Rain is the ultimate source of water for farmers. This is monsoon season and showers of rain, which is a direct source of water for many farmers. This is a direct method in which farmers rely on rainfall for sowing and growing crops.
Relying totally on rainwater may vary the production for farmers. It is a risky factor as rainfall quantity varies from place to place and yearly.
This rises the need to store rainwater. Rainwater harvesting is an excellent way to store water. Water can be stored in reservoirs and other tanks. These are used after the rainy season for farming.
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| Clouds filled with rainwater |
Drilled wells :
These wells are used for irrigation purpose. These are very clean water, because it is extracted from groundwater found in aquifers.
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| Water coming out after drill |
Municipal water:
Municipal water is treated water which are supplied to residential areas for drinking and household chores. For this water is treated with chemicals containing fluoride, chloride or sodium compounds.
Even though it contains chemicals, it is the highest quality of water. It is safe to use this treated water in agricultural process, and livestock farming.
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| Water being treated by municipality |
Surface Water:
The surface water sources are rivers, streams, ponds, open canals, reservoirs, lakes, etc.
Farmers after rainfall, are largely dependent on surface water sources for farming and irrigation.
These sources are dependent on runoffs and rainfall. But these are subject to contamination as water from runoffs can be from any place. It can contain sediments, chemicals from industries and other pathogens.
To get it in useful form, water filtration is required.
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| Surface water source |
Factors affecting water sources
Water sources are highly affected these days. The factors which are affecting these sources are:-
- Population : With increase in population, increasing is the demand of water. This is so because water is being consumed in large. Apart from the daily use it is being used to grow food for larger people.
- Urbanization :Urbanization is one of the biggest factor which is not only increasing the demand, but also affecting the sources of water. The path of water is being blocked which used to go to rivers or other water bodies. With no proper sanitization and segregation of water, there is a need of water management.
- Industrialization : As industrialization is increasing, the waste from industries whether solid waste or liquid waste, all are being excreted to water bodies, which are decreasing the water quality used for agricultural purposes, and for livestock.
- Climate change : Pollution in any form is affecting the climate as the global warming is increasing from which all are aware of. This is decreasing the quality and quantity of rainfall.
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| Pathogen |
These factors are important as the sources of water needs to be protected for fulfilling the demand of food for people. Water is the input which effects the yield to the farmers. The decrease in rainfall, may decrease the output, which not only affect the farmers, but overall at a larger view, it will have effected on the people at large extent.
Conclusion
In this blog, you learned the importance of water, which is the lifeline for farming and agriculture. Water is used not only for growing plants but also for livestock farming. Water is the source of life for millions of creatures which also help in farming for making the soil fertile in many ways.
There are many sources of water such as rainwater, drilled wells, surface waters from rivers and lakes, drainage ponds and municipal wells. We see the use of these sources to the farmers.
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| Water being stored in tank |
Water is required in adequate amount for farming. So there is a need to store rainwater and save other sources of water, to use it as and when required. Rainwater can be stored in tanks, reservoirs, etc.
In the later posts, you will learn about various factors which affect the water in agriculture and many more. Till then, use the sources of water in a purposeful way.
Than you... For such detailed and comprehensive info...
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