Dr.. P. S SHEHRAWAT and Bhagwan DAS RATHORE
Department of Extension Education CCS Haryana Agricultural University Hisar-125004, India
India is predominantly an agrarian country. Its economy is based on agriculture of which irrigation is a significant component. India agriculture still dependent on the mercy of the monsoon not with standing increase in irrigated area. The net area irrigated in the country has reached one-third of the net area sown on the monsoon is a cause for worry.
Rajasthan which has got about eight percent of Indian population is endorsed with only one percent of the water resources. In Rajasthan net area under irrigation by different sources is 5.2 million hectare, which is only 3% of total cultivable land. Therefore, sprinkler irrigation may prove very helpful and beneficial.
The traditional method of irrigation practised from time immemorial in the world is surface runoff and depercolation. No basic change has been taken place in surface method of water application over the years. Sprinkler system of irrigation comes into existence over 55 year back. In recent years sprinkler method of irrigation has become more popular particularly, in the areas where water is a limiting resource.
The sprinkler system of irrigation is, particularly, suited to sandy soils that have a high infiltration rate. Land leveling is not essential for irrigation with sprinkler i.e. it is suitable for irregular topography. Sprinkler distribute water better than in other method. Surface irrigation water (water runoff) can eliminated by this method of irrigation, soluble fertilizer, herbicides, fungicides can be applied in the irrigation water economically by this method, sprinkler irrigation can be used to protect crops against frost and against high temperature that reduce the quantity and quality of harvest. Labour cost is usually less and more land is available for the cropping.
Sprinkler system of irrigation is the best way of bringing more area under irrigation by economic use of water, though the initial investment in adopting the system is very high but looking to the advantages of the system, it is profitable.
Keeping in mind the importance of knowledge and attitude, factors associated with attitude and constraints in its adoption, the present study has been undertaken to study influence of knowledge and attitude of farmers towards sprinkler system of irrigation and to find out the constraints encountered by farmers in sprinkler system of irrigation