Periodically we get to spend time with our Sustainable Vision grantees in the field. We pleased to share with you their experiences, lessons learned, and insights.
Irrigation Innovation
June 2010
NCIIA grants manager Jennifer Keller Jackson on location in Peru.
Interviewee: Carolina Barreto (Project PI John Duffy)
Overview: The aim of this project is to provide small farmers in developing countries with an affordable solar drip irrigation method that promotes the sustainable use of water and energy. The world’s food security relies on improving irrigation techniques for smallholder agriculture in developing countries. The common irrigation practice is flooding with seasonal water gravity fed systems or diesel/gasoline-powered pumps. Solar pumps are clean, efficient and have lower maintenance. Drip irrigation (DI) is 40% more efficient than furrow. Depending on the crop, DI could allow three harvests per year instead of one in the rainy season, generating enough income to pay for the system.
