Question

Pitcher irrigation is NOT suitable for

• A. Tomato crop
• B. Brinjal crop
• C. Wheat crop
• D. Broccoli crop

Hint:

Pitcher irrigation is a localized micro-irrigation system designed for widely spaced, high-value vegetable and vine crops.
It is physically and economically unfeasible for dense, closely spaced field crops like cereals.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Pitcher irrigation is a localized, low-cost micro-irrigation system where unglazed clay pots (pitchers) are buried in the soil up to their neck and filled with water.
Water slowly oozes out through the porous clay walls of the pitcher into the surrounding soil, directly wetting the root zone of neighboring plants.
This passive irrigation method is designed for high-value crops with wide row spacing.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Pitcher irrigation operates on capillary principles, where water release is driven by the moisture gradient between the pitcher wall and the surrounding dry soil.
This localized wetting pattern makes it suitable for widely spaced row crops, vegetable crops, or vine crops such as tomatoes, brinjals, broccoli, gourds, and melons.
For these crops, individual pitchers can be placed to irrigate one or two plants, minimizing water losses to evaporation, runoff, and deep percolation.
Cereal crops like wheat, barley, and rice are closely spaced, densely sown crops with high plant populations per unit area.
Irrigating a dense field of wheat using individual clay pitchers is practically and economically unfeasible.
Dense crops require uniform, field-wide water distribution, which is typically managed through flood, border, or sprinkler irrigation systems.
Consequently, pitcher irrigation is highly unsuitable for wheat cultivation.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Pitcher irrigation is not suitable for wheat crop, which corresponds to Option (C).