Novel Way to Irrigate Fields Using Plastic Saline Bottles
Posted by Unknown in Drip Irrigation, India, Irrigation, Recycling on Sunday, 12 May 2013
M. J. PRABU
THE HINDU
Irrigation
poses the greatest challenge for a farmer since water availability needs
to be there almost throughout the year. Monsoon failure means fall in
yield and farmers are the direct sufferers when the rains are inadquate.
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| It is a good alternative to big drip systems but requires labour and patience. Photo: Special Arrangement |
“Especially in a
country like India, the unseasonal and unpredictable weather,
especially when it turns into droughts forces agriculture scientists and
farmers to think of alternative simple and effective solutions to
overcome the crises,” says Dr. I.S.Tomar, Programme Coordinator, Krishi
Vigyan Kendra, Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) near Rajgarh Naka, Jhabua.
Case study
One such case
study that has been quite popular is use of discarded plastic saline
bottles for irrigation by farmers in Jhabua district in Madhya Pradesh.
Basically a tribal dominated dry region, agriculture is the main source
of livelihood for the people there. Maize, blackgram, soyabean, wheat,
and cotton are normally grown.
To enhance
income of the farmers of the area, an attempt was made to introduce
improved vegetable cultivation under National Agricultural Innovation
Sub Project called Integrated farming system for sustainable rural
livelihood in undulating and rainfed areas.
Mr. Ramash
Bariya, a small farmer from the village, started growing vegetables
under this project guidance in a small area. He got a good profit
initially and this encouraged him to start growing some gourd varieties
like bitter and sponge gourds. He prepared a small nursery for raising
the seedlings but faced acute water shortage due to delayed monsoon.
Worried, he
discussed with NAIP project scientists who advised him to adopt an
innovative irrigation technique using waste saline bottle.
“We wanted to
try out this method in the farmer’s field since it is quite cheap and
effective and farmers who cannot financially afford big drip systems can
try this. But farmers should realise that it requires labour and
patience,” says Dr. Tomar.
Remove bottom portion
In this
technique, the bottom portion of the bottle is removed using a sharp
knife and the bottle filled with water. It is hung upside-down from a
stake next to the sapling in the field. The plastic tube with the nozzle
is made to touch the ground near the plant root.
Instead of
allowing water to be irrigated through the channels in the field or
pouring it on the crop with a bucket, water starts dripping on the soil
surface making the root zone wet, thereby supplying moisture
continuously to the crop.
Purchased the bottles
The plastic
control knob in the middle of the tube can be adjusted to control the
drip. The farmer purchased about 350 bottles from a waste paper mart and
started using them for his cultivation. His entire family used to help
him in filling the bottles with water.
“I have been
able to get a net profit Rs.15,200 from less than a hectare till date by
using this method for my vegetables,” says the farmer..
The state
agriculture department conferred an achievement award on him for
adopting this simple yet effective method to overcome water shortage.
Many others in the surrounding areas have also started adopting this method for their crops.
According to
Dr. Tomar, this type of irrigation is quite popular in African countries
like Kenya. Many American farmers are also using this system to grow
their kitchen gardens.
But in India it is not popular. The reason could be that it is time consuming and labour intensive.
Though today
there are several government schemes and subsidies available to install a
full fledged drip irrigation system the paperwork involved is quite
laborious, and delays cultivation work.
Can tie up
So farmers are
encouraged to adopt such indigenous ideas to overcome their local
cultivation problems. If there is a hospital nearby, farmers can tie up
with it to collect the waste bottles directly, and on a regular basis.
For more information readers can contact Dr. I.S.Tomar, Programme Coordinator, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Near Rajgarh Naka,Jhabua-457661, Madhya Pradesh,phone: 07392-244367,mobile: 09425188028 and Mr. Ramesh Parmar S/o Sh.Jawa Parmar, Rotla village, Rama block, Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh, mobile 09893593135 (pp).
