Which of the following is/are the advantage/advantages of practicing drip irrigation? 1. Reduction in weed 2. Reduction in soil salinity 3. Reduction in soil erosion Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

The correct answer is C (1 and 3 only). Drip irrigation delivers water in small quantities directly to the root zone through emitters on laterals, so the inter-row soil stays dry. Weed germination and growth between crop rows drop, which is statement 1. Water is applied slowly, so there is little surface runoff and the soil is less exposed to the detaching force of flowing water. That reduces erosion, which is statement 3.

• Statement 2 is wrong. Drip does not reliably reduce salinity. It keeps the root zone moist, but salts are pushed outward and accumulate at the edge of the wetted bulb. Without proper leaching and management, salinity can build up over time. Drip is better described as a tool that can be managed to limit salinity, not one that removes it.
• Option A wrongly includes statement 2. Option B leaves out the weed benefit. Option D is wrong because statements 1 and 3 are genuine advantages.

The core concept is water-use efficiency through localised application. For Mains GS-III, this links to micro-irrigation under PMKSY (Per Drop More Crop), water-use efficiency, and the problem of secondary salinisation in canal-irrigated tracts.

Trap: Aspirants assume any water-saving method also lowers salinity. Drip can increase salt concentration at the wetting front, so salinity is not an assured benefit.