Sustainable irrigation vital for soil health

Irrigation is not only key to providing essential water to crops, especially in drier regions, but it is also crucial for improving the health of your soil.

- Janine Ryan

There are various ways to promote and maintain soil health. One of these is through irrigation methods. Irrigation plays a crucial role in maintaining soil health and promoting optimal plant growth. It provides essential water to crops, particularly in regions with insufficient rainfall or unreliable water availability.

Irrigation ensures a consistent water supply to plants, which is essential for their survival and growth.

Water is a primary component of plant cells and is necessary for photosynthesis, nutrient uptake and various metabolic processes. Adequate irrigation also prevents water stress in plants, helping ensure optimal yield of crops, and helps distribute the necessary nutrients present in the soil to the crop.

In terms of soil health, however, irrigation supports microbial activity, ensuring efficient nutrient recycling and maintenance of soil structure, and helps prevent soil erosion by binding soil particles together. As such, it is nearly impossible to have healthy soil without adequate moisture, and for many farmers, irrigation is thus essential to ultimately improve soil health.

Appropriate irrigation also encourages the breakdown of organic matter in the soil. Microbial activity, facilitated by adequate moisture, accelerates the decomposition process, releasing nutrients and contributing to soil fertility. Irrigation also helps prevent salt build-up in the soil by leaching excess salts downward and away from the root zone. This is particularly important in areas with high soil salinity.

FAST FACTS

• Irrigation ensures a consistent water supply to plants, which is essential for their survival and growth.