Gardening Tips fresh food.. community.. land.. food security. Stewardship. People. learning. living.

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1 Gardening Tips mountain ROOTS.. Gardening Tips fresh food.. community.. land.. food security. Stewardship. People. learning. living. June 2012 Systems by Oscar Meza-Montano What is? Drip irrigation, also known as trickle irrigation, micro irrigation, or localized irrigation, is the slow, precise application of water and nutrients directly to plant root zones in a predetermined pattern using a point source. Water to drips slowly to the roots of plants, either onto the soil surface or directly onto the root zone, through a network of valves, pipes, tubing, and emitters. Designs can be customized to meet specific needs while maintaining an optimum moisture level within the root zones, efficiently conserving water that might otherwise be lost to non-growth areas, runoff, sun or wind, and providing the proper balance of water and air needed for successful plant growth. Drip irrigation is used by farms, commercial greenhouses, and residential gardeners, and may be critical for cities and municipalities that face water restrictions while aspiring to maintain or expand their green areas. Our experience indicates drip irrigation is the most efficient method of irrigating. While sprinkler systems are around 75-85% efficient, drip systems typically are 90% or higher. What that means is much less wasted water! For this reason drip is the preferred method of irrigation in the desert or low water capacity regions. But drip irrigation has other benefits which make it useful almost anywhere. It is easy to install, easy to design, can be very inexpensive, and can reduce disease problems associated with high levels of moisture on some plants. Drip irrigation is ideal for home gardening, backyards, greenhouses, green roofs, row and vegetable crops, including tomatoes, corn, melons, peppers, strawberries, eggplants, zucchinis, lettuces, greens, carrots, herbs and more. A Brief History Of Systems Heda Irrigation has been used since ancient times when buried clay pots were filled with water, which would gradually seep into the grass. In Afghanistan in 1866, researchers began experimenting with irrigation using clay pipe to create combination irrigation and drainage systems. In 1913, E.B. House at Colorado State University succeeded in applying water to the root zone of plants without raising the water table. Perforated pipe was introduced in Germany in the 1920s. The impact sprinkler was invented in the

2 .. Gardening Tips fresh food.. community. land. land. food. food security. Stewardship. People. People. learning. living. living. mountain ROOTS Gardening Tips Drip 1930 s. Use of plastic tubing developed in Australia, and was refined in Israel in the 1950 s. The United States developed the first drip tape, called Dew Hose, in the 1960 s. Beginning in 1989, Jain irrigation helped pioneer effective water-management through drip irrigation in India. Jain irrigation also introduced the `Integrated System Approach, One-Stop-Shop for Farmers, and `Infrastructure Status to & Farm as Industry. The real boom of the drip irrigation systems was in the 80 s with the update of machinery for structured plastics. The 80's saw drip irrigation making the transition into commercial landscape, with mixed success. Modern drip irrigation has arguably become the world's most valued innovation in agriculture. Subsurface (SDI) uses permanently or temporarily buried dripper line or drip tape located at or below the plant roots. It is becoming popular for row crop irrigation, especially in areas where water supplies are limited or recycled water is used for irrigation. Drip irrigation may also use devices called micro-spray heads, which spray water in a small area, instead of dripping emitters. These are generally used on tree and vine crops with wider root zones. Careful study of all the relevant factors like land topography, soil, water, crop and agro-climatic conditions are needed to determine the most suitable drip irrigation system and components to be used in a specific installation In today's market, however, drip irrigation is well trusted and used extensively in agriculture, and is actively utilized in commercial landscape and residential garden sites, providing a possible solution to some of our water management problems. A Low-Cost, Hybrid, Small-Scale Alternative Drip irrigation provides farmers the most efficient way to grow crops in water scarce areas, but historically has been too expensive for small-plot farmers. Valves, filters, emitters, pressure regulators make the drip irrigation systems both complicated and expensive. My father, Oscar E Meza-Celis, was an enthusiast researcher and creative investigator In Acapulco, Mexico in the early 70 s. My father used his experience in hydroponic and gravity irrigation, started to develop several substantial changes in the drip irrigation systems with the goal of lowering the cost and making the irrigation system more accessible to Mexican farmers. His research resulted in the unique, cheap, and most versatile drip irrigation system in the world: OSMECEL. OSMECEL Systems, is a hybrid drip irrigation system using gravity and low pressure water and voiding the use of valves, pressure regulators, emitters, connectors, filters and at the same time. The system uses technique called fertigation, or fertilization-irrigation, which provides all the nutrients necessary for the plant to grow and have

3 high quality yields. With OSMECEL irrigation system, you can grow inside your home, in your backyard, or over many acres of land. After first approaching manufacturers of commercial drip irrigation systems, OSMECEL developed its own design for small farmers. OSMECEL lowered the cost of drip systems by replacing conventional emitters with holes and micro tubes, shifting water distribution lines extending to crops, and customizing system layouts for small plots. Development of a hanging plastic water storage container further lowered the cost for a household garden kit covering from a single plant pot to 20 square meters (215 square feet). In fact, any plot under.4 hectare (one acre) can benefit from these systems, but their modular design allows for expansion above that. They provide water savings of percent, greatly reduce labor, and accurately deliver fertilizers. This makes cultivation during the dry season possible, with resulting yield increases of up to 30 percent. Try this at Home: Left: Use a straight pin to poke tiny holes all over repurposed 2L soda bottles or gallon milk jugs and bury them between your plants. Right: Place a 5-gallon bucket or larger on an elevated base. Connect to spaghetti tubing found at garden supply stores. Water Conservation with Irrigation At the present time and as long as water is inexpensive, irrigation inefficiency and over-watering may be overlooked. Once water supply is low due to a drought and water restrictions are applied, the inefficiencies of a poorly designed and installed irrigation system quickly become apparent. For an irrigation system to be successful, it must include proper design, correct installation, the right component selection, the proper layout, and equally important, appropriate maintenance.

4 Conventional irrigation systems using sprinklers or bubblers are rated in gallons per minute (GPM) -- a popup sprinkler used on a lawn may use from 1 to 3 GPM (gallons per minute), or 60 to 180 GPH (gallons per hour). Drip irrigation flow rates are in the range of 1-4 gallons per hour (GPH), and micro sprinklers may be rated from 5 to 45 GPH (gallons per hour). With conventional watering systems, water may be lost through runoff, low system uniformity and high rate of evaporation, blown away by wind or wasted on non-growth areas. Using drip irrigation water is absorbed slowly into the soil and directly into the root zone. No water is wasted on nongrowth areas. By placing the drip emitters just at the plant root zone you can water using much less water and with better efficiency. This irrigation method allows the water to move deeper into the soil, encouraging deeper root growth. In addition, the low flow of drip system enables watering of large areas using a single water source. Advantages and Benefits of System Water Efficiency: Drip irrigation systems allow you an efficient watering by supplying water where it is needed - at the very roots of the plants. As a result, water is not wasted on leaves or soil. This significantly reduces the chances for evaporation and run off. Both are common with traditional irrigation systems where the water is often supplied at a rate greater than the soil can absorb it. Ease of Installation: Low-pressure systems can be installed without special tools or glue, and with limited knowledge, making the installation a very simple process. In fact, most components of a drip system can be moved or reused. Low Pressure: Most drip systems operate at about 15 to 30 PSI (pounds per square inch), while the average home has water pressures of anywhere from 40 PSI to 80 PSI. Consequently, with a drip system, you will not notice a drop in pressure when the system is operating. Reduced Pest Problems and Weed Growth: Watering only the roots of your plants with drip irrigation cuts down on water-borne pests and fungal diseases that spread by water movement, as well as the germination of weeds in the area between your plants. When water is applied using a conventional sprinkler, everything gets wet. Since a home drip irrigation system applies water to the root zone of your plants, the spaces in between plants remain dry. This greatly inhibits weed seed germination. If the soil remains dry, most seeds will not germinate. Landscape maintenance takes less time with a home drip irrigation system. Versatility: Low volume irrigation systems are designed for placement in both new and existing landscape areas, and are ideal for installation on difficult terrain such as on slopes, in oddly shaped areas, and on windy sites. You have many options with drip irrigation tubing, fittings, and emitters.

5 It is a versatile watering system which can easily be installed on hillsides or flat terrains. A drip irrigation system is the perfect irrigation method for oddly shaped landscapes and windy areas. Existing sprinkler systems can be retrofit with drip irrigation with very little effort. Root Zone - Less plant stress: One benefit of a drip irrigation system is the creation of a totally new and more favorable root zone environment because of the maintenance of a relatively constant soil moisture level. This has important implications for plant water requirements, tolerance and control of disease. When plants get deep, consistent watering, they thrive. Inefficient, shallow watering can contribute to plant stress. Promote healthy growth and disease resistance plants in your home garden with a drip irrigation system. Economy: Investing in a low volume irrigation system can save you money and significantly lower your water use. Once a drip irrigation system is installed, you will use less water to irrigate. If your home is on a well, you will notice a severe drop in your pumping costs. You will no longer need to hand watering your garden. Automate your home drip irrigation system with an irrigation controller and eliminate the need to pay someone to while are on vacation. With the reduction of plant disease and unwanted weeds, your gardening labor and maintenance costs will also drop considerably Disadvantages of No serious introduction to drip irrigation would be complete without a look at the disadvantages associated with its use: The drip tubing can be susceptible to damage from rodents, and household pets unless you place it underground. A filter is required to guard against sand, organic material, and algae clogging the small water passages of the micro drip lines. Each drip line creates a wetted area around each plant, so watering is more critical in replacing the water used by the plant to avoid stress. My father and I are investigating the development of OSMECEL drip irrigation system for green houses, home gardening and green roofs because we believe the future of gardening is here. Subterranean drip irrigation systems are our next goal and Gunnison and Crested Butte will be the first place to install our pilot projects. Oscar S. Meza-Montano grew up in Acapulco, Mexico where he worked with his father to develop the low-tech, low-cost OSMECEL

6 irrigation system. He spent several years in Telluride, and now lives in Gunnison, where he is a small business owner and board member for Mountain Roots. oscar.meza@mountainroots foodproject.org