RAS question
Drip irrigation was pioneered in which country?
Correct answer: (D) Israel.
Modern drip irrigation was pioneered in Israel, where the technology was introduced in the 1960s.
Explanation
Modern drip irrigation is associated with Israel because World Bank Blogs says Israel invented drip irrigation and that the technology spread rapidly after its introduction in the 1960s. The method matters because it delivers water more precisely to the plant root zone, reducing evaporative losses and, when liquid fertiliser is mixed into the system, enabling precise fertigation. This global innovation connects to India through the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana's Per Drop More Crop approach, under which drip irrigation is promoted for water-efficient farming. Maharashtra and Rajasthan are major users in India, but the origin asked in the question is Israel.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The USA is not the place where modern drip irrigation was invented or introduced in the 1960s.
- (B) India promotes drip irrigation under PMKSY's Per Drop More Crop approach, but Israel, not India, is where the modern system was developed.
- (C) China is not the pioneer of drip irrigation.
Concept
This tests irrigation methods under Indian geography and agriculture, especially water-use efficiency in dry and semi-arid farming regions. It recurs in RAS because drip irrigation links global agricultural technology with schemes such as PMKSY and Rajasthan's water-stressed farming context.