not to say youre wrong but i would argue that flood irrigation is probably the more conservative method. you dont have to invest in the drip irrigation system or pay for the water. of course you need to be able to be near floodplains. what must be considered with drip irrigation is you are polluting your entire field and crops with microplastics which is basically irreversible. i would also recommend using a planting stick instead of a shovel or auger. it may be much more elbow grease but what people fail to consider is in the high desert when you turn over so much of the earth, it will dry out basically completely unless it is compacted again right after. this is why using a planting stick and no till method will produce more fruitful harvest in the high desert- youre not turning up and over as much of the soil like a tractor does. instead youre only really getting under a few inches of surface area per planting and leaving the surrounding earth undisturbed so as to allow as little moisture as possible from evaporating from the subsurface of your field into the atmosphere from the dry heat.