Irrigation Mississippi rainfall exceeds 50 inches per year. Typical rainfall shortages occur from June through October, thus increasing the chance for a short drought of 2 weeks or more during this period. Vegetables often have shallow root systems and cannot sustain good growth during short droughts. Supplemental irrigation, usually in the form of micro-irrigation or drip irrigation, is used as the predominant system for vegetables. 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.