Article Summary

By Muhammad Miftahul Anuar (J1B117024)

Journal Source
Widiastuti, Indah & Wijayanto, Danar Susilo. 2018. Design of a Drip
Irrigation System for the Dragon Fruit Cultivation. Jurnal Keteknikan Pertanian.
Vol.6 : 1-8

Introduction
The article chosen is “Design of a Drip Irrigation System for the Dragon
Fruit Cultivation” by Indah widiastusti and Danar Susilo Wijayanto. The aricle
highligts Development of an efficient irrigation supplying precise amount of water
can have benefits not only by reducing the operating costs but also by enhancing
the dry land productivity. In the area with limited water resource, drip irrigation
method provides advantage by minimizing water loss due to percolation,
evaporation and surface flow. Lack of water during vegetative periods can cause
plants to wither. Therefore, to obtain optimal plant growth, watering must be done
regularly so that water needs can be met throughout the plant life cycle, especially
in the dry season (Rana et al., 2014).
  Efforts that need to be made to maintain the sustainability of production
and productivity of developed commodities are the existence of water-saving
supplementary irrigation in the dry season. The basic principle of drip irrigation is
pumping and delivering water to plants by means of pipes that are leaked at a
certain distance according to the distance between plants. This gravity system
supplies water slowly and accurately to plant roots, drop by drop. By regulating
the amount of pressure, the irrigation system is able to provide the amount and
speed of water supply in accordance with plant needs (Sumarna, 1998).

Methods
This research is an analysis of a feasibility study on the implementation of
a drip irrigation system, including a technical feasibility analysis and an economic
feasibility analysis. In general, the methodology used in this activity includes the
stage of drip irrigation network installation, performance testing and cost analysis.
This article presents installation of a drip irrigation system for dragon fruit
farmland in Nguntoronadi, Wonogiri, Indonesia. The water requirement of dragon
fruit has been determined using the Cropwat software based in the local climate
and field conditions. This data is required to determine the irrigation operation
time each day. In evaluating economic feasibility of this irrigation system, a cost
analysis was performed based on the site technical requirements. It is expected
that the drip irrigation implemented will increase the total production of a rain fed
farmland

Conclusion
This article describes the procedure for installing a drip irrigation system
on a 3000 m2 dragon fruit cultivation area by using electrical energy as a driving
force for a water pump. Drip irrigation was applied to 272 dragon fruit plants with
an average discharge of each dripper of 0.3 liters per hour. Determination of
irrigation operational time is determined based on plant water requirements for
each stage of growth. With an average operating time of 48 minutes, a technical
recommendation is given to schedule irrigation between the north and south sides
of the land or increase the capacity of the currently available water reservoir with
a maximum volume of 500 liters. The feasibility analysis shows that the
implementation of the drip irrigation system is technically and economically
feasible as an alternative solution to increase dryland productivity.
To provide more optimal results, irrigation frequency should be based on
measuring changes in humidity levels according to environmental conditions and
physical characteristics of the soil. To determine the effectiveness of the irrigation
system on crop productivity, further research is needed by comparing yields
before and after the implementation of drip irrigation.