Advantages and Disadvantages of hand watering in Greenhouse

A. Advantages of hand watering in greenhouse

a. Low initial investment

• Requires minimal infrastructure or equipment (watering cans, hoses).
• Suitable for small-scale farmers and beginners who cannot afford modern irrigation systems.

b. Flexibility in operation

• The grower can decide when, where, and how much water to apply.
• Immediate adjustments can be made depending on crop stage, weather, or soil condition.

c. Better individual plant care

• Allows close observation of each plant during irrigation.
• Useful for spot-watering weak or diseased plants without wasting water on the entire greenhouse.

d. Low maintenance cost: Unlike drip systems or sprinklers, no complex maintenance, filters, or replacement of parts are needed.

e. No electricity required: Can be practiced even in areas with poor or no power supply.

f. Suitable for research or small experiments: Allows precise treatment of small experimental plots or specific plants in greenhouse research.

B. Disadvantages of Hand Watering in Greenhouse

a. Labour-intensive

• Requires significant manual effort, especially in medium to large-scale greenhouses.
• Increases dependency on workers, making it less reliable for commercial farming.

b. Time-consuming: Irrigating large numbers of plants manually takes much more time compared to automated systems.

c. Uneven water distribution

• Water application depends on the operator’s skill and care, leading to overwatering in some spots and under-watering in others.
• This inconsistency affects uniform crop growth and yield.

d. Not suitable for fertigation: Difficult to integrate fertilizers or nutrients efficiently into hand watering, unlike drip or NFT systems.

e. Risk of plant damage

• Water droplets splashing on leaves may spread diseases like fungal infections.
• Physical movement inside the greenhouse may injure plants, especially young or delicate crops.

f. Higher evaporation and water loss: Water applied at the soil surface can evaporate quickly, reducing efficiency compared to subsurface irrigation methods.

g. Difficult to maintain ideal soil moisture: Greenhouse crops require precise soil moisture control. Manual watering may create waterlogging or drought stress zones.