Drip irrigation, a tool for conscious and sustainable use of water in the face of the water crisis

Amid the severe water crisis that the country has been going through in 2021, questions arise regarding the use of water in agriculture, but the big question is: how to reduce consumption without losing productivity and quality at the time of harvest, taking into account the economic and social role that agriculture has assumed in Brazil, being responsible for significantly increasing GDP year after year?

According to FAO, by the year 2050 the world will demand an increase in food supply by around 60% and water supply by 40%. To reach this quantity, irrigation is a great tool, as it is a technique that mitigates the impacts that climate variables bring to agriculture. Brazil, according to Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina, during the seminar “Irrigation is food”, highlighted that the country has only 3% of its agricultural production irrigated, whereas the world average is 20%.

Drip irrigation is a technique that delivers water and nutrients locally, directly to the root region of the plant. A preponderant factor aimed at better use of water is at the time of project design, planning is carried out observing some characteristics such as the type of soil, topography and crop to be cultivated. Aiming to make the ideal amount of water available for cultivation without waste due to leaching, in addition to using soil moisture monitoring tools and pumping system management through software that guarantees the producer the possibility of dexterously managing the use of water, and as a result, having a crop with excellent results in a more sustainable and productive way.

With climate change directly affecting production in the field, drip irrigation, whether surface or underground, already has, and will increasingly play, a leading role with regard to food security, ensuring regularity in the supply of food, without forgetting sustainability and care for the environment.

Maxwell Soares da Silva, Agronomic Specialist at Netafim