ECONOMIC RESPONSE OF INDUSTRIAL CROPS TO DRIP AND HOSE-REEL IRRIGATION: ON-FARM COMPARISONS IN CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ITALY

A biannual research aiming to compare agronomical and economic performance of drip and hose reel irrigated industrial crops was carried out during 2009 and 2010 cropping seasons on irrigated mid-size farms in Central and Northern Italy. Comparison made according to parameters based on supplied irrigation water (IW), market yield (MY), irrigation cost (IC) and gross income (GI), shows that with respect to drip irrigation, the cost per hectare of hose reel irrigation is lower in all cases in the farms under analysis. Economic efficiency of each irrigation type was assessed by using two specific indexes. The first relates the difference between the expenses met to achieve both GI to the IC sustained to get specific GI. Both economical indexes show an advantage of more than 60% of hose reel irrigation with respect to drip supply. Results of the case study depict a better economical suitability of hose reel irrigation compared to drip irrigation. However, the most remarkable outcome is that under the same farming condition and professional skill, there is no evidence of any system supremacy on water saving and crop yield. According to the field experiences, it appears that under actual farming conditions irrigation management is crucial on crop yield and water use.