Global Ecovillage Network/Solution Library/Bottle drip irrigation system

▼This solution entry was ported from the Global Ecovillage Network's Solutions Library.This is open edit, but please leave your comments on the talk page before editing.

Without agriculture, man can’t live and without irrigation man can’t have agriculture. Food is essential for human beings as well for animals for their sustenance. Man depends mainly on rainwater to water the crops, but nature did not favor him always. Occasionally droughts were severe and there was a consequent lack of harvest. There was a need for irrigation and he started to use water from ponds, streams and rivers for agriculture.

• Ecology: It restores the food chain, it reduces groundwater pollution, and it also reduces land and air pollution.
• Culture/World View: Fishing and other maritime activities are improved, encourages home gardening.
• Social: Improved health; food security, efficient time management.
• Economy: It is less expensive, job creation, limits water consumption.

Without agriculture, man can’t live and without irrigation man can’t have agriculture. Food is essential for human beings as well for animals for their sustenance. Before irrigation, man satisfied his hunger by eating fruits from the forest and drinking water from natural streams. Slowly his demands grew and he felt the need of different types of food. He started cultivating and growing assorted crops. Agriculture was his sole occupation. He depended mainly on rainwater to water the crops, but nature did not favor him always. Occasionally droughts were severe and there was a consequent lack of harvest. There was a need for irrigation and he started to use water from ponds, streams and rivers for agriculture.

These plastic bottles won’t disappear on the earth surface even if the stop producing them. Let’s take advantage of its present and make good use of it. For example, these plastic bottles can be used for drip irrigation whereby, a small hole is created on the bottle lid, small enough to let water drop. This bottle filled with water is now turned upside down allowing the water to drop directly on the plant. The advantage of this method of irrigation is that losses due to runoff and evaporation are reduced to a considerable extent, weed is controlled, and can also be used to provide fertilizers to crops (fertigation). It is less labour intensive and the plant gets just the amount of water required a day to propel growth.

• Seeds, Food & Soil.
• Water Cycles.