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READ MORE: How drip irrigation systems benefited farmers in the Solomon Islands

READ MORE: Increasing on-farm water productivity through affordable microirrigation vegetable-based technology in Cambodia[/wpcol_1third]

[wpcol_2third_end id=”” class=”” style=””]Simple low-cost drip irrigation is practical and affordable for smallholder farmers. It has been used successfully in India and is becoming more popular in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. It can reduce both water and labor use by as much as 20-50%. Yield of vegetables also can be increased by at least 10%. Our farm trials in Cambodia showed yield increases of 20-50% compared with traditional hand watering. Low pressure irrigation was a key component of the African Market Gardenconcept jointly developed in West Africa with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).

 

Installing drip irrigation

More Crop Per Drop, a 10-chapter drip irrigation guide, provides basic step-by-step procedures for installing simple drip irrigation systems for different crops, climates, and soils.

More Crop Per Drop: Using Simple Drip Irrigation Systems for Small-scale Vegetable Production, by M. Palada, S. Bhattarai, D.L. Wu, M. Roberts, M. Bhattarai, R. Kimsan, and D. Midmore D. (2011).

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