Climate change has proven disastrous so far, and it is not getting any better. We collectively need to make moves for the betterment of our planet. Every little action counts, so it becomes necessary to do what you can. The saline water levels are rising, but the freshwater level is falling, resulting in a water shortage. So, it becomes essential to conserve water. Working in the field, you use more water, so you need to be sneaky with ways to save it.
Drip Irrigation
One of the problems with spray irrigation in tropical countries is that the water evaporates quickly, resulting in water loss. However, with drip irrigation, the water goes straight to the roots of the plants through special filters and pipes. As a result, the drips are located at sufficient gaps for the water to get distributed equally as per need, and the soil gets as much water as required with minimum wastage.
Mulching
Both synthetic and organic mulches can be used. This retains the surface moisture and does not let the weed grow, saving water and effort. In the case of synthetic mulches, black plastic is often used with gravel or stone. In the case of organic mulches, hay is an excellent option, along with tree leaves and wood shavings. They’re economical too.
Maintain your sprinklers and drips
You need to look at your sprinkler, tap, and drip heads from time to time to ensure that they’re not leaking. Therefore, having a suitable quality water float valve becomes imperative. Also, look into the alignment of your sprinklers and drips to ensure that they’re irrigating the lands with crops on them and not the barren land.
Dryland Farming
This kind of farming is done in mainly drought-ridden areas where it is challenging to grow irrigational crops requiring water. So, specific crops like wheat corn can be grown in these areas without much water. So, crops in these areas are irrigated once or not at all.
Agroforestry
Trees are great ways to store water. They absorb water from the soil and retain the moisture in them. When absorbing water through the roots, the trees filter the water, leaving some minerals back in the ground. This increases the soil fertility and holds on and increases the groundwater level.
Cover crops
Rainfall is the primary source of absorption of groundwater. However, when there is heavy rainfall, most of the rain flows, downsloping the surface and, along its way, carries the top layer of the soil, taking away the fertility. Cover crops help prevent the washing away of the soil and break the water’s speed down, which helps with groundwater absorption.
Subsurface Irrigation
This kind of irrigation is similar to Drip Irrigation. However, it reduces the evaporation of water even further. It transports water through pipes that run underground, directly watering the soil. This is a comparatively costly method but saves more water. Surface irrigation can be used in different soils like desert sand, heavy clay, and even drought-prone regions.
Laser Levelling
Traditionally, farmers have always had to level their lands for better usage and fertility. Laser levelling helps farmers level their lands with the use of high technology. However, traditional land levelling helped provide a better and more consistent water level, especially in limited water resources. This helps with better water utilisation.
Rainwater Harvesting
Rainwater is beneficial. Holding that and storing it helps store a lot of water which can be used in fields later. Allowing rainwater to flow away becomes useless. It can even be used to increase groundwater levels.
Crop Rotation
Crop rotation is very effective in improving soil structure and soil condition. It helps rejuvenate your land. When your soil is better rejuvenated and in good condition, it helps hold the water better. It increases the groundwater level and helps in reducing soil erosion. This helps reduce the risk of flooding and improves water quality.
Water preservation has become vital in recent times. With the rising risks against our planet and humanity, we should do as much to reduce our carbon footprint. Water preservation helps with that. With the conservation of one of the essential elements of livelihood, we are allowing ourselves and our future generations. Without water, there is no future. Preservation of water helps save energy, life, our future, our planet.