U.S. Department of the Interior | Bureau of Reclamation
Contact Us | MP Site Index
Bureau of Reclamation Mid-Pacific Region Banner
Reclamation Home             Reclamation Offices             Newsroom             Library            Projects & Facilities
A white, oval shape logo, with the title WaterShare centered in green letters. There is a blue drop of water and the title.

A blue banner with yellow letters stating Managing Water on the Farm

LOW PRESSURE MICRO IRRIGATION

How It Works:
Plants take up water gradually from their roots. Micro irrigation delivers water drop-by-drop right to the root zone.
  • Low pressure tubes allow water to seep through tiny perforations (emitters).
  • Drip tapes and rigid drip tubes are rolled out over the surface, or buried under the soil surface.
  • Mist sprayers are used to apply fine droplets beneath the leaf canopy, directly upon the soil.

Animated watercolor of blue water spraying a vineyard. The water is coming from pipes which run along the ground from pipes angling upward about two feet from pipes running along the ground. To the left of the vineyard is an orchard with purple pipes running along the ground.
Drip and micro sprinkler irrigation

Typical Crops:
permanent orchards and vineyards
peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, other high value vegetable crops

When It Works Well:
Micro irrigation can be the most efficient crop watering method when the system is designed for:

  • even application across the irrigated area,
  • careful timing to prevent over-watering,
  • water filtration to keep the emitters clean.

Costs and Benefits:
The high cost of installing and maintaining a micro system is justified for permanent high value crops such as vineyards and orchards. As technological innovation reduces the cost and as water prices rise, micro methods will find further application.

AgriWater Home Page