Gone are the days (hopefully) of 'blanket irrigation' (riego a manta) where water was sloshed around a plantation via furrows in the soil and a less wasteful methods are used.

Drip irrigation has taken over from the old method but even this system still leave water on the surface where it evaborates. Now however, the Agricultural Department at the Almuñécar Town Hall is experimenting with a subsoil system.

Agricultural Councillor Carlos Ferrón has been overseeing several plots of land at the El Zahorí Experimental Farm using this new system (new here, at least).

This method introduces irrigation directly into the subsoil, preventing evaporation caused by the sun’s effect on the soil.

The DRS system, which is manufactured in Spain and is compatible with existing irrigation systems, prevents water loss from evaporation and runoff, resulting in significant water savings for farmers, estimated at approximately 30% to 50%.

“The DRS system delivers water and fertilizers to the subsoil and, therefore, to the roots. It also reduces the proliferation of weeds, which are often a refuge for pests and consume water and nutrients,” Councillor Ferrón explained.

The company behind the DRS system, Hídricas Sostenibles SL, will conduct research on the municipal, experimental farm for two years and present the results at the end of this period.

(News: Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)

Keywords: Experimental Farm, El Zahori, Subsurface Irrigation, Water Loss, Evaporation, DRS

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