Spanish farmer Antonio Rico invented DeepDrop, a system that saves 40-70% of water when irrigating. Ecoinventos.com portal.
Its essence is simple, according to its inventor, it is "pure common sense." And it is in simplicity that the main advantage lies: the device is a 15-centimeter tube inserted into the ground, with a rubber washer so that it does not sink into the soil. A capsule with a transparent surface is built into the tube, which connects to the general irrigation system and allows water to flow directly to the roots of plants. At the same time, the farmer can constantly see how the water is circulating. If a problem arises, it is solved on the surface, and not underground, which is much more expensive and more difficult. In essence, this is a dripper, but thanks to its shape, it allows you to turn surface irrigation into underground and at the same time maintain ease of maintenance.
DeepDrop is suitable for any type of crop. Water savings range from 40 to 70%, depending not only on the crop, but also on the soil.
Water savings in this case is achieved due to the absence of problems of evaporation and washing out of the soil. In addition, this type of irrigation promotes plant growth, fertilizer uptake, eliminates the need for roots to forcefully suck up water, and prevents weeds from growing. All this means better plant health and faster growth. In addition, DeepDrop allows for short, heavy waterings that maintain constant moisture in the subsoil, beneficial to growth. There is no need to even water every day, as is the case with other sprinkler or surface irrigation systems.
Another great advantage of the invention is the ease of installation of these capsules. This does not require a professional, and the farmer himself can easily install it using the material he already has.