Water, water everywhere... except where it's needed, the poet might have added, which is certainly the case in the Axarquia; its main resevoir stands at just 14% capacity.

But there is a gent in his 80s, Antonio Rico, who has invented an underground watering system for subtropical plantations, called DeepDrop which makes a saving of 70% on the water needed for normal, surface irrigation.

His son, 38-year-old son, Ernesto, manages the company – after all there are more important things to dedicate your time too in your 80s such as Byzantine break dancing, booze and loose women (not necessarily in that order).

Actually, Antonio is a bit of a wizard when it comes to inventing things as he has patented 25 inventions over the last 30 years, so wringing the old grey matter out has to be fitted in with Tibetan warbling and Japanese, insect harassment.

Put another way, they have managed to decrease the amount of water needed for a healthy crop from between 800 and 1,200 litres per kilos of fruit down to between 250 and 350 litres!

But this thrifty water management does not only cut down on the amount of water needed to sustain profitable crop harvests but it also cuts out “water stress,” thus increasing fruit yield. It also protects the fauna (especially birds) as irrigation water also contains fertiliser and other chemical products, which can be harmful for wildlife.

(News: Torrox, Axarquia, Costa del Sol, Malaga, Andalucia – Original article & Photo: E. Cabezas)