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Bobby_Robert_Lambert gravatar image

Another option for micro-scale irrigation is to use a a bed and furrow system, using 50mm plastic pipes to convey the water from the source (using a small tank, old oil drum? filled with a pump (rope washer or other ... even by bucket). I adapted this very slightly from what farmers were already doing successfully in Zimbabwe. Key thing is to promote a rotation (weekly or even fortnightly if crops more deeply rooted) and a thorough wetting of the soil down to 30-50cm, avoiding regular sprinkling (disease, shallow rooting and high evaporative losses). Mulching on bed can help further reduce evap losses. Pipes and pump can be carried home and stored securely.