This is an archival version of the original KnowledgePoint website.

Interactive features have been disabled and some pages and links have been removed.

Visit the new KnowledgePoint website at https://www.knowledgepoint.org.

 
0

Need some information regarding irrigation on barren land.

KnowledgePointAdmin
RedR CCDRR

I am looking for some scientific papers about irrigation on barren lands. Are there any specific irrigation system for dessert-like land or low fertility land ?

Comments

Try Sunseed Desert Technology - this organisation used to have a substantial library on the area you are interested in. It is over 25 years since I worked there, but hopefully, their database is up to date: sunseed@sunseed.org.uk.

GMM gravatar imageGMM ( 2015-01-09 20:07:40 )

3 Answers

0
Alan Stinchcombe

I don't know about scientific papers but Water for Cameroon, which operates in the Ndop Plain, reports success in growing crops in dry seasons with drip-feed irrigation kits.

If no other tank is available, with a hot nail and some glue, these irrigation lines can be fed from a bucket on a post.

The basic idea is to peg out the pipe and sow seeds in the moist patches next to the pipe. As long as folk are diligent about refilling the bucket, this ensures that plants are optimally placed to receive sufficient water supply.

0

Based on the assumption that desert like land is related to minimal overall water availability, then a drip system as discussed above is the way to go. Another good thing about these systems is that liquid fertiliser can be added to the water to address fertility issues. But worth noting that we have met some resistance to their use in the field, most likely due to lack of understanding.

There must be papers written about this stuff, I am only aware of a National Geographic article (I think) about a village in Africa using traditional farming techniques to rehabilitate barren land. I could dig it out for you if your interested.

0

Try Sunseed Desert Technology - sunseed@sunseed.org.uk This organisation used to have a substantial library on the area you are interested in. It is over 25 years since I worked there, but hopefully, their database is up to date.