Agricultural irrigation systems are used to water plants in a field. There are many different types of irrigation systems. One type is a center pivot irrigation system with several segments of pipe that have sprinklers and are connected together. The connected segments are mounted on wheels and connected to a water source at one end. The connected segments move around the water source in a circular manner. However, because center pivot irrigation systems are very high, they cannot be used in certain types of fields, such as orchards or fields with power lines.
Another type of agricultural irrigation system is drip irrigation where drip lines are placed on the surface of the ground, on posts, or under the ground's surface. The drip lines are connected to a water source and the water comes out of slots in the drip lines. Drip irrigation is well suited for vineyards, orchards and fields with power lines. Drip irrigation can also be used in fields where center pivot irrigation can be used.
The typical tradeoff between a pivot irrigation system and a drip irrigation system is the installation and maintenance cost compared to the increased efficiency of the drip irrigation system. For example, installation and maintenance of a drip irrigation system may cost 50 percent more than for a pivot irrigation system. However, as water becomes more scarce, harder to obtain and costlier, interest in a high efficiency solution provided by drip irrigation will become more attractive.