drip irrigation
Introduction
Drip irrigation, also known as "drop by drop irrigation", is an irrigation method used in arid areas as it allows the optimal use of water and fertilizers.
The water applied by this irrigation method infiltrates into the roots "Root (botany)") of the plants, directly irrigating the zone of influence of the roots through a system of pipes and emitters (drippers), which increase productivity and yield per unit area.
This technique is the most important innovation in agriculture since the invention of sprinklers in the 1930s.
Drip irrigation consists of watering plants through drops of water which are filtered through a hose, tube, etc.
History
Drip irrigation has been used since ancient times. Fan Shengzhi shu, written in China during the century BC. C., describes the use of clay vessels confined and/or buried near crops, with the purpose of capturing rainwater and allowing this water to reach the plant in a more leisurely, constant and regular manner, for a longer period of time.[2].
In the 2nd century, the Incas developed a system similar to the Chinese, which complemented the terrace irrigation system. The use of containment vessels and ditches with slits for filtration constitute a precedent for drip irrigation.
The transition from the ancient version of the drip system to a modern version had its first signs in Germany, in 1860, when the first prototypes of dispensing pipes were attached to the clay vessel, with varying degrees of success.[3].
The modern version of the drip system came due to the invention of refined plastics after the Second World War, used by the Australian Hannis Thill, who invented and patented plastic microtubes and the first types of drippers, which were used in Australia, the United States and Europe.[3].
Due to the water shortage in Israel, Simcha Blass and his son Yeshayahu improved the drip system emitter system. Instead of releasing water through tiny holes, which could easily become clogged by the buildup of tiny particles, water is released through larger, longer pipes using rubbing to slow the speed of the water inside a plastic emitter. The first experimental system of this type was established in 1965 when the Blass family at Kibbutz Hatzerim created an irrigation company called Netafim.[3] They then developed and patented the first outdoor drip irrigation emitter. In 1976, Gershon Eckstein (DIS company) invented the dripper extruder machine, eliminating the need to insert drippers into the field. Subsequently, automatic winders made it possible to accelerate the manufacturing speed to above 65 m/min.