Capability to irrigate creates an environment for higher and consistent yield and good quality produce. Systems can use either surface or groundwater. Other components are filtration, main lines, submains, and laterals. With some of the newer products on the market, drip irrigation becomes more economical and reusable from year to year. Flexible mains and submains decrease the investment in solid buried pipe, thus allowing for rotation of crops and systems to various fields in close vicinity without dramatically increasing the fixed costs.
Drip irrigation is a low flow point source watering system.
The greatest problem is dirty water or iron, which can be eliminated with proper filtration and treatment. Also, when a system is being installed, it needs to be installed to meet the end use or peak water demand of the crop it is being used on. Cool-season vegetables will be somewhat less. The system must meet the peak demand, or irrigation will not be able to support crop growth. In 1994 bacterial fruit blotch of watermelon, caused by the bacterium Acidovorax avenae subsp.