Less water, more biomass with the Buried Diffuser-drip irrigation technology (African Agriculture)

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http://www.africanagricultureblog.com/2011/07/buried-diffuser-improved-drip.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+africanagricultureblog%2FNaEx+%28African+Agriculture%29

The Buried Diffuser, an improved drip irrigation technique

by Chahbani Bellachheb

Drip irrigation is today worldwide known as a good irrigation water saving technique. But there is a new worldwide patented technology tested in farmers fields in arid lands in Tunisia which uses 3 times less water then drip irrigation to get the same yield. Farmer field trials show that for the same volume of irrigation water, the “buried diffuser” produces 3 to 4 times more then drip irrigation.

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Comparison of irrigation systems (Agriculture-Guide)

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http://www.agricultureguide.org/drip-irrigation-systems-versus-other-worse-irrigation-systems-and-methods/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AgricultureGuide+%28Agriculture+Guide%29

Drip Irrigation Systems versus Other Worse Irrigation Systems and Methods

Drip irrigation has turned out to be the best method for irrigating the crops. Many crops fail due to the lack of water. Water is the main reason for the growth and if the water is supplied at the right time then we can get maximum production. Drip irrigation is the best solution for the drought hit areas or the areas with low water.

A drip irrigation system consists of the drippers and the PVC pipes connected to every plant in the farm. The water is uniformly distributed to the plants in the form of the drops with the help of these PVC pipes. The drops from the pipes directly flow into the roots and therefore avoid flooding of the nearby area. A flooding usually results because the plants cannot take up the water after a limit. Usually flooding, leads to the growth of the weeds in the farms. As the drip water system needs just drops of water for the growth of the plants, there is a greater chance for the water conservation in the drip irrigation. The drops are also well absorbed by the plants.

Benefits of using drip irrigation systems:

Drip irrigation system has a lot of advantages when compared with the other systems which may include the following:

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Drip Irrigation and the Environment (Agriculture-Guide)

Read at :

http://www.agricultureguide.org/drip-irrigation-a-way-of-contributing-the-environment/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AgricultureGuide+%28Agriculture+Guide%29

Drip Irrigation – A Way of Contributing the Environment

Many homeowners have begun to save water, both for the environment and to lighten the burden of excessively high utility bills each month. Planting a garden while watching your water usage can be a very tricky thing. Luckily, there are plans and designs to meet the needs of those wanting to plant a garden while saving water.

Drip irrigation systems allow you to efficiently water your garden while still reducing your water usage and lowering your monthly utility bill. Efficiently watering your garden consists of using the needed amount of water, exactly where it is needed and without wasting. Drip irrigation meets all these needs, typically exceeding more than ninety percent efficiency. Alternatively hand sprinkling, water hoses and yard sprinkling systems typically only fall between fifty and seventy percent efficient. This makes drip irrigation a much more likely candidate for those looking to conserve water.

There are advantages and disadvantages to virtually everything. The main advantages of drip irrigation include a lower usage of water, a much easier way of watering your garden and less wasting of water. There are two primary disadvantages, although the pros definitely outweigh the cons in this topic. The basic disadvantages of using this system are the required maintenance and the need to pay strict attention to your garden so that you know that the drip is working correctly.

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Waiting for rain or drip irrigation ? (IRIN)

Video seen at :

http://www.irinnews.org/film/?id=4125

Drip Irrigation (Senegal)

Drip Irrigation Planning Guide (Agriculture Guide)

Read at :

http://www.agricultureguide.org/drip-irrigation-planning-guide/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AgricultureGuide+%28Agriculture+Guide%29

First of all if you are considering installing a drip irrigation system you should take some time to sit down and map out the area you want the drip irrigation to cover. For example, if you want to install a system in your garden, make a rough drawing of the plants you have and where they are situated, remembering to include trees and shrubs, which, for some reason people tend to ignore when planning their systems. A basic rule of thumb is that if it is growing and you want it to keep on doing so, include it in your garden plan.

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Catalogues for drip irrigation kits need for drip irrigation supplies (Agriculture Guide)

2007 - Simple, but efficient drip irrigation system in a family garden of a regugee camp in the Sahara desert near Tindouf (S.W. Algeria (Photo WVC)

Read at :

http://www.agricultureguide.org/drip-irrigation-supplies-equipments-and-inventory/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AgricultureGuide+%28Agriculture+Guide%29

Drip Irrigation Supplies & Equipments and Inventory

If you are considering installing a drip irrigation, or micro-irrigation system in your garden or greenhouse, then you should browse the catalogues for drip irrigation kits need for drip irrigation supplies. You can get them for containers, vegetable gardens and rose beds as well as for trees and shrubs too. They are particularly good for the environment as well as your plants as they recycle water and deliver it to where it is needed most- root level. Now that rain fall patterns are becoming less predictable and reliable, having a drip irrigation system really does make sense for gardeners and farmers alike. Drip irrigation systems products of drip irrigation supplies, unlike sprinklers are not affected by wind and reduce evaporation and runoff commonly associated with traditional irrigation systems.

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A new way to bring water to thirsty plants: photovoltaic drip irrigation – PVDI – (ATDF)

Read at :

http://www.atdforum.org/spip.php?article344&var_recherche=malnutrition

Drip Irrigation powered by Solar Cells

http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/watered_by_the_sun/

Watered by the Sun

Innovation / by Maywa Montenegro /

Lessening the food-related financial burden that many Africans bear is a multi-layered problem—spanning global trade, market access, and gender politics, to name a few. But given that most sub-Saharan communities rely on rain-fed agriculture, and given that it only rains between three and six months out of the year in that part of the world, better irrigation is emerging as a simple method for combating poverty and malnutrition.

Drip, or “micro,” irrigation, as the name suggests, is stingy with the water, delivering it to the roots of plants drop by drop. And due to its efficiency, drip irrigation is now the most rapidly expanding model in sub-Saharan Africa—some studies show that it can double yields, deliver water savings of 40 to 80 percent, and reduce the need for fertilizers, pesticides, and manual labor. But a big obstacle to expanding the reach of drip irrigation in Africa has been a lack of reliable energy supplies; even frugal drip schemes need some sort of energy source to power a water pump.

Water scarcity and drip irrigation (Google / Public 88)

Read at : Google Alert – desertification

http://www.public88.com/garden/garden/water-garden-7-easy-steps-to-installing-a-drip-irrigation-system/

Water Garden | 7 Easy Steps To Installing A Drip Irrigation System

Posted by admin

In the 21st century water is becoming more and more a scarce natural resource. Some water experts claim that in the not so distant future, wars will probably break out over issues related to water. Whether or not you live in a region where water is scarce today or not does not matter; because, shifting weather patterns, desertification and other factors can quickly transform regions that have abundant rain and water resources into dry, dusty and water scarce regions in a few years. As more people have started supplementing their food resources by growing their own organic fruits, vegetables, herbs and grains; it is also important for you to employ better ways to water your garden that helps conserve as much water as possible. Drip irrigation enables you to water your organic or conventional garden, saves a lot more water than conventional watering (garden hose or sprinklers) and you can automate it. This article shows you 7 easy steps to install a drip irrigation system.

Modern drip irrigation systems to help family farmers in the Sahel cultivate crops using less water (AlertNet)

Read at :

http://www.alertnet.org/db/blogs/67336/2010/10/12-142336-1.htm

Drip irrigation can help Sahel adapt to climate change

Written by: Christian Rouxel

The effects of climate change have increased uncertainty about family farms in Africa being able to produce a minimum yield of vegetables. Especially in the Sahel region, the limited availably of water resources for irrigation and the effects of climate change increase this threat.

As a result, the European irrigation industry has developed modern drip irrigation systems to help farmers in the Sahel cultivate crops using less water. This allows water to be saved for other activities such as drinking, cooking and washing.

Because they deliver water to the roots of the crops, drip irrigation kits help boost crop yields while using much less water than traditional flooding of fields, which leads to high water loss from evaporation.

The kits also require less water pressure and are designed to generate less clogging than other available systems for African family farmers.

Sharing Israeli expertise: Drip irrigation, Africa Market Garden, Techno-Agriculture Innovation for Poverty Alleviation (Worldwatch)

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http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6544?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+worldwatch%2Fall+%28Worldwatch+Institute%29

Israeli know-how helping to combat hunger in Africa

By DANIELLE NIERENBERG AND JANEEN MADAN
11/08/2010

Israel has been a leader in developing innovative drip-irrigation systems that reduce the amount of water needed for farming.

Most of Israel is arid, with the Negev Desert spanning 60 percent of the country. Desertification, water scarcity and soil erosion makes it increasingly difficult to farm, endangering the livelihoods of those who depend on agriculture for both food and income.

But Israel is not alone in facing these challenges – dry lands cover 47% of the Earth’s surface. With 60% of the world’s food insecure people living in dry areas, desertification and poverty go hand in hand, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

But the simplest techniques can go a long way in strengthening food security, increasing incomes and improving the livelihoods of millions of people.

Israel has been a leader in developing innovative drip-irrigation systems that reduce the amount of water needed for farming. Today, these innovations are empowering farmers in the dry Sahel region across sub-Saharan Africa to combat problems of water scarcity.

Vertical farming, drip irrigation, organic crop protection and drought-resistant seeds

Read at : Google Alert – drought

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/vertical-farming-biopesticides-drought-resistant-seeds-take-center-stage-at-the-agriculture-20-global-investments-conference-2010-09-15?reflink=MW_news_stmp

Vertical Farming, Biopesticides & Drought-Resistant Seeds Take Center Stage at the Agriculture 2.0 Global Investments Conference

Agriculture 2.0 Canada Set for October 19

NEW YORK, Sep 15, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — NewSeed Advisors, an integrated investment banking and advisory practice for sustainable agriculture ventures, hosted the third edition of the Agriculture 2.0(TM) investment conference in New York City yesterday.

150 industry leaders, including Ernesto Brovelli, Senior Manager of Sustainability for The Coca-Cola Company and Don Borgman, Director of Agriculture Industry Relations for John Deere, gathered at Agriculture 2.0 Global Investments and met with entrepreneurs presenting groundbreaking technologies such as drip irrigation, organic crop protection and drought-resistant seeds.

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Highlights included a presentation by Dickson Despommier of Columbia University about the global possibilities for vertical farming in urban centers.

Microfinance for drip irrigation, a success story in Syria (Greenprophet)

Read at :

http://www.greenprophet.com/2010/05/drip-irrigation-syria/

Drip Irrigation Gives Hope to Drought Plagued Farmers in Syria

Green Prophet Staff | May 7th, 2010

Microfinance loans help Syrian farmers meet their water needs to grow crops ………..

While severe drought in eastern and northeastern Syria is seriously affecting lives and livelihoods, farmers may draw some hope and comfort from an irrigation success story in the central district of Salamieh. An experimental drip irrigation project run by the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (RSP) in the village of Fraytan (17 farmers) in 2003, has spread to 52 villages today.

“Fraytan was chosen because of the availability of irrigated land and wells. It is an area where the majority of farmers still used the traditional form of irrigation and a sense of cooperation among them existed,” Ali Zein, project manager in Salamieh, told IRIN.

Zein explained that drip irrigation systems are operational for 5-10 years, resulting in more profits for farmers long after the systems have been installed and paid for. With a drip system, upwards of 90 percent of the water is used by the plant, while with surface irrigation this rate drops below 60 percent.

This improved irrigation system draws water from a well and sends it directly to the plants through a series of pipes which are pierced with hundreds of small holes, restricting the overall flow of water so that there is reduced waste.