Difference between traditional method and modern …

Traditional farming and Modern farming differ from each other in a big way. Traditional farming adheres to the traditional methods of agriculture. On the other hand, modern farming experiments with the implementation of advanced technology in the field of agriculture. 

Traditional Irrigation Methods

These irrigation systems were used in earlier years. However, even today some small farms in rural areas adopt these. Although they are cheaper than modern methods, they are not as efficient. Because they need human or animal labour to function. Some of these systems are,

1. Moat

Also called the pulley system, it involves pulling up water from a well or other such source to irrigate the land. This is a time consuming and labour intensive process, but it is very cost-efficient. Also, using a moat avoids wastage of water.

2. Chain pump

A chain pump consists of two large wheels connected by a chain. There are buckets attached to the chain. Further, one part of the chain dips into the water source. As the wheel turns, the bucket picks up water. The chain later lifts them to the upper wheel where the water gets deposited into a source. The empty bucket gets carried back down.

3. Dhekli

It is a process of drawing water from a well or such similar source. Here we tie a rope and bucket to a pole. At the other end, we tie a heavy stick or any other object as a counterbalance. And we use this pole to draw up water.

4. Rahat

Rahat uses animal labour. Above the well, we tie a large wheel. An ox or cow would turn the wheel to draw the water from the well.

Modern methods of irrigation includes the drip irrigation and the sprinkler.

1. Drip Irrigation System

Drip irrigation is the most used irrigation system these days. In the drip irrigation, we lay plastic pipes in rows near the crops or plants. These pipes have holes in them. The water seeps from these holes drop by drop, hence the name drip irrigation. Drip irrigation is one of the most efficient irrigation methods as it reduces water wastage in agriculture.

2. Sprinkler System

Sprinkler systems mimic the phenomenon of rain. In sprinkler systems, the pipes carry water to central locations on the farm. The sprinklers placed there, distribute the water across the fields. The sprinkler method is one of the most efficient irrigation methods to irrigate the uneven land for agriculture. In addition, sprinkler systems provide the best coverage regardless of the size of the farm.