Irrigation Technologies

Simple irrigation technologies can have the capacity to improve significantly the survival of seedling and young trees in the nursery and field. Following is a brief description of some of these technologies, including Irrigation Bucket Kits that are provided, for free, by the World Seed Program.

Irrigation Bucket Kits
These kits can be used to water tree nurseries, vegetable gardens or young trees in the field. The kits, developed by Chapin Living Waters (www.chapinlivingwaters.org), contain the necessary materials to make an irrigation system using an ordinary 20-liter bucket (not provided in the kit) and instructions on how to set them up. The irrigation system works by gravity, the bucket is mounted one meter above the ground and connected to drip tapes that are placed on the ground next to where the plants are to be located. The bucket usually has to be filled twice daily for the plants to get enough water.

One of our beneficiaries in Haiti installing an irrigation kit

For more information on irrigation bucket kits and how to obtain them, please contact:
Chapin Living Waters Foundation
Website: www.chapinlivingwaters.org
Email: rchapinw@imcnet.net

Deep Pipe Irrigation Systems

Deep pipe irrigation system is a simple to build, low-cost and very effective irrigation methodology that can be used to water tree seedlings. It has the potential to greatly increase the survival rate of young plants. The system is based on using a pipe with holes in it that is placed vertically in the ground next to the plants. The water is delivered through the holes directly to the root area of the seedlings. This promotes the growth of deeper roots that are less susceptible to drought. In agroforestry systems, it can also reduce competition for water with other intercropped seasonal plants. This irrigation method can be built from easily available, low-cost materials. For more information on how this system works and how to build it visit the website Agroforestry.net and click on Free Publications; or use the following link: http://www.agroforestry.net/pubs/Deep%20pipe%20irrigation.pdf

Small-Scale Irrigation Pumps

In the past years, water pumps that are simple to install and use have been developed to help with the water needs of poor farmers in developing countries. Treadle pumps, for example, are human-powered pumps that can irrigate small plots of land and that can be manufactured and maintained at low costs. For more information on these technologies, visit the following websites: