For the past few years we have been using drip irrigation lines to germinate our melons, summer squash and cucumbers. It works much better than sprinklers and saves a good deal of water. In a few days we will pick up this tape and wind it back onto the spool with our handy dandy tape winder. We will then cultivate the crop to remove the weeds with the tractor and thin the crop to the desired spacing by hand. The drip tape is then put back into the field to irrigate the crop.
This all takes time but we use less water and get a better crop.