Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Where water is scarce, subsurface drip irrigation comes to the rescue

New Mexico is one of the dryest states in the US, with an average of just over 13 inches of rainfall per yer, we have become accustomed to water conservation in many forms. From time to time, parts of New Mexico will just plain run out of water, or get very close to it.

This article from Clovis NM talks about how NMSU is studying drip irrigation in high plains.
According to the article, there is a lot of money at stake.

Agriculture in the two counties is worth nearly $700 million.
With this type of impact on such a small economy, it becomes self evident that the investment into subsurface drip irrigation is well worth it.

Subsurface drip irrigation reduces water use and is more efficient at
getting water to plants than the low energy precision application
techniques currently used with many center pivot systems to irrigate
crops in the area, said Mark Marsalis, Extension Service agronomist for
NMSU's Agricultural Science Center at Clovis.
Mr. Marsalis is exactly correct, of course, more effort should be put into education of the agriculture industry as to the benefits of investing in drip irrigation.

Subsurface systems are efficient because water goes directly on the
roots
, Marsalis said. The technique also minimizes evaporation and
runoff losses at the surface, which is particularly important in arid
regions.
Again, he is right on, as technology advances you can calculate and automate within very exact tolerances, just the right amount of water and fertilizer required for optimum growth potention in just about every crop you would want to plant. To us, it seems a bit silly not to be using a sophisticated drip system.

The [3 year] study also will document the differences in water, fertilizers and pesticides and yields and economic returns.

We applaud their efforts and will watch closely their progress.

Monday, June 25, 2007

Something we have Known.. Slow watering is perfect for plants

As more and more people search for the best methods to conserve water and continue to bolster plant/crop growth, drip irrigation comes to mind first and foremost.

the AP has a story Slow watering is perfect for plants.



For over 20 years we have been practicing the drip watering methods to increase plant and crop production while conserving water.





Good watering is all-important to a good garden and long, slow watering has many benefits.

We agree, the accuracy of the delivery system of course is paramount to your results.



Soaker hoses are easy to use, but their actual ooze rate is variable.
It can differ significantly from the stated rate and it can drop
dramatically after the hose has been buried in the ground even one
season.



Soaker hoses are a little outdated. As mentioned, their results are very unpredictable and they still only do the same ol "soak it till you think it's wet enough" method of caring for your garden or crop.



A good alternative to soaker hoses is drip irrigation, which delivers
water to your garden with tubes that have drip holes -- or emitters --
spaced along their length. The system can sit on the ground or be
buried below.



Drip irrigation tubes ..... have advantages over sprinklers for watering the garden.

We could not agree more, GoDrip.com supplies all of your irrigation needs in this aspect.



In this case, the emitters where water exits are engineering marvels
that maintain relatively consistent water output in spite of changes in
water pressure or elevation.

Selecing your drippers is very important, to prevent clogging, deliver accurate supply and free yourself from too much work.



... [Drip] systems are easily automated with an inexpensive timer. Automation
is a good idea because this type of watering works best when the water
goes on and off frequently through the days and weeks. After all,
plants absorb water throughout most days...



Automation of your drip system is key, technology today can help quite a bit without breaking the bank.



We appreciate the AP for helping get the word out that drip irrigation, drip systems and water conservation are possible for everyone from the average gardener to the large farmer.