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Short note: Problems of sprinklers

Short answer

Wind drift lowers uniformity; high capital and energy costs; nozzles clog from silt/algea; evaporation losses; leaf wetting spreads disease and causes scorch with saline water; not suited to clay soils; poor design leaves dry spots; needs skilled maintenance and spare parts.

Write a short note on problems of sprinklers.

Sprinkler irrigation, although efficient, has several practical problems.

  1. Wind: wind drifts the spray, gives uneven distribution and reduces coverage; operation is difficult in strong wind.
  2. High cost: pumps, pipes, sprinklers and energy raise initial and running costs; unaffordable for small farmers in Nepal.
  3. Energy and pressure: needs adequate pressure; where electricity is poor or diesel is costly, running is difficult.
  4. Evaporation loss from droplets in hot and dry weather.
  5. Clogging and wear of nozzles due to silt, sand, or algae; need good filtration.
  6. Crop problems: wetting of leaves may promote fungal disease and burn leaves if water is saline; flowers and fruit may be damaged.
  7. Unsuitable soil: low-infiltration clay causes surface ponding and runoff.
  8. Uneven distribution from overlapping and bad spacing; poor design can leave dry spots.
  9. Skills and maintenance: lack of skilled operators and spare parts; shifting of portable lines takes labour and may damage crops.
  10. Damage to pipes by animals, vehicles, sun, and theft.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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