"The buried diffuser" a real "revolution" in irrigation: 60% less water than drip irrigation; 1 irrigation per 1 , 2 or 3 years!

During 25 years of applied research, in semi arid and arid regions of Tunisia, allowed to conceiveand test a new technology: "the buried diffuser". This technology is an efficient solution for irrigation water saving and for droughts mitigation and climate change adaptation.

In regular irrigation of trees or vegetables, The Buried Diffuser allows:

• to use 50 till 70% less water than drip irrigation,

•to use 70 till 90% less energy than drip irrigation

•to use 50 till 70% less fertilisers than drip irrigation

•to reduce dramaticly the use of herbicides, and others phyto sanitary products,.

For droughts we have to distinguish : the seasonal drought and the multi annual drought. The first type is a short duration drought: low or very low rain during the autumn, or the winter or the spring. This will of course reduce the water availability in the soil of the rain fed crops (trees or cereals and others). For the irrigated crops from small medium and big reservoirs, the impact is not dramatic. The second type is the long duration drought: 2 till 3 successive years. The impact is dramatic and catastrophic for both rain fed and irrigated crops. In rain fed crops there is no crop because no water in the soil : for cereals and similar farmers do not cultivate; for trees because of water scarcity in the soil., the trees will slowly agonize. If the drought is long (2 or 3 years) the trees die and the aerial and underground (roots) biomass dry out. This situation is what Californian farmers experienced during 2012/2013 and 2014.
To avoid the negative impacts of the catastrophic droughts in rain fed and irrigated crops, using the buried diffuser, we introduced 2 new "concepts": the "anticipated irrigation" and the"water injection" in the deep soil layers.

For the "anticipated irrigation", Instead of irrigation during the hot or the dry season, the irrigation using Buried Diffusers is done during the autumn and winter or during the rainy season. The amount of water of the «Anticipated Irrigation» should cover the total need of the crop during the hot or dry season (spring and summer). This water amount is stored in the deep soil layers will be used by the deep or sub-surface roots systems of the crops.
The "water injection" using Buried Diffusers in the deep soil layers is useful especially for trees crops. The injected water comes from: dams, rivers, and springs. The amount of the injected water could cover the need of the trees for several years (2 to 3 years) when the soil below 50 cm is thick (1 meter or more) and contains minimum 10% clay. This injected water is conserved (stored) in the deep soil layers (50 cm below the soil surface) and used later by the deep root systems of the trees during a short or a long drought period: six months till 3 years. During the drought, the trees produce normally using the injected and stored water.
Thus for one wet year and one very wet year and for a hill reservoir, with a drainage basin of 700 hectares and a storage capacity of 300000 cubic meters, these resources that might be injected into the deeper layers of soil are estimated to1550000 meters. This volume injected by diffusers would keep in good production conditions 34 444 adult olive trees for three years. Each tree receives 15 cubic meters per year.
The draining floater allows to «pump» » and to distribute the water using the gravity. It uses the siphon principle. To begin the pumping and the distribution of the water using the gravity, we have to fill the pipes with water then we open the end tap of the system to initiate the water flowing by gravity inducing the water pumping and distribution continuously without any intervention. The "Water flowing regulation tap" could be closed and opened at any time without priming the siphon.
For more details about the buried diffuser, the draining floater, the anticipated irrigation and the water injection, visit our website: www.chahtech.com .or contact us on : bchahbani@chahtech.com

3 Answers

1. that's an interesting concept. Pleases end me brochure or some details at ang.wenyan@gmail.com

2. Hi Govind, Thanks for the comment. About irrigation water storage in the soil layers below 0.5 meter should be equal to the need of the tree not only to keep it alive but to produce the maximum yield. In the case of Anticipated irrigation we give only the needs of 1 year during 1 till 3 weeks(non stop day and night) the soil below 0.5 meter should be at least 0.7 meter thick. . In the case of water injection the soil below 0.5 meter should be at least 1.5 meter to inject the needs of 2 years and 2 meters to inject the needs of 3 years. to store the needs of 1, 2 or 3 years in the deep soil layers, theese layers sholud contain more than 10% clay. Anticipated irrigation and water injection in the deep soil layers, using buried diffusers, both concepts are used by tunisian farmers, since 2013. To see that you can visit us and we will show to you the fields where both concepts are applied. we are discussing with an indian company to introduce the buried diffuser in India. If the discussions are positive, we will manage pilot farms with anticipated irrigation and with water injection in the deep soil layers. Recontact me again nex November to inform you about the negotiations with the indian company. My email is bchahbani@chahtech.com

   1 Comment

   1. Thank u chahbani for ihe prompt and positive reply. I a very much impressed with the concept and the approach: THE NEED OF THE DAY. The video indicated the demonstration on deep soil sustaining the fruiting citrus trees. U have narrated the requirements nicely. In view of the climate change, increase in population, per head water needs and limitations on water availability, we will have to think beyond drip irrigation to lower down the energy and water needs of agroecosystems, with increased production and improved quality. I am very happy to know that u are planning to be in India in near future.

3. Seems to be the novel and innovative approach for drought proofing. I would like to take some time to comment in detail. However, I feel that is it possible to entrap and compel water: the dynamic liquid in a soil layer of .5 to 1.o m, for longer period? secondly, whether the object was to keep the plants/crop only alive or with the maintenance of potential production level. 2. Any how, the topic is interesting and may generate very good information as well as challenge the preconceived concepts; which will have the importance in the current CLIMATE VARIATION situation.