By Aaron Priel   

A tailor-made package of technology and know-how is now available to growers of organic crops by one of the world’s largest supplier of irrigation equipment and know-how.

Low volume irrigation - a relatively new technology - which was initially developed to save water, has found even further applications in bioorganic agriculture, in particular the efficient application of liquid organic fertilizers and compost making.

The key to bio-organic agriculture is to establish optimal plant nutrition and production while restoring the soil and its micro-organisms to its natural state. The use of inorganic fertiliser, pesticides and herbicides are forbidden, therefore compost and other organic nutrient sources play a key role.

However, the use of natural nitrogen sources for fertilisation through the irrigation system needs special attention. For example, proper filtration, maintenance and periodical flushing of the drip system in order to avoid possible clogging are necessary.

Oscar Lutenberg, head of Netafim’s bio-organic division said that the company has developed a free-flow fertigation system that operates for a long time
“without any malfunctions."

One of the major problems that affect the efficiency of irrigation in organic agriculture is the creation of bacterial slime and lime scale, which can decrease flow rate and even clog the dripper. This problem has been overcome by providing suitable disinfestation that enables the free flow of nutrient-enriched water through the pipes.

“We use only materials approved by the IBOAA and the Plant Protection and Inspection Service, such as Sodium Hypochlorite and several organic acids for breaking down the scale layer in the inner tube," he said.

Composting
Composting is vital in organic production, efficiently treats and stabilises fresh organic material, destroys weed seeds and pathogenic microbes, reduces the volume of organic waste and prevents environmental pollution. Adding compost to the soil improves its physical characteristics, aerates heavy and clay soils, improves the water retention capacity of light and sandy soils, stimulates the development of biomass, reduces the carbon/nitrogen ratio and provides the soil with Humic elements.

When used in compost preparation, low-volume irrigation technology - whether micro-sprinklers or drip-lines - is very effective in preventing the leaching of nutrients and consequently environmental pollution.

Potential
Netafim, the Israeli company which pioneered drip irrigation in the 1960’s, is today one of the world’s largest companies manufacturing and marketing irrigation systems. It saw the potential for its systems in organic production some three years ago when it became an active member of the Israel Bio-Organic Agriculture Association (IBOAA) and last March of the international organic agriculture association (IFOAM). 

Its entry into the organic market began in Greece, where the company worked with farmers growing citrus, olives, and corn, the latter slated for feeding chickens in the production of organic meat.

Since then it has developed a “Bio-Organic Package," which it launched earlier this year. As well as recommendations for irrigation equipment, the package includes technical guidance to provide the grower with the ways and means to maintain an optimal organic system.
 
The Bio-Organic program includes:

• Hydraulic planning and solutions to fit the requirements of each and every farmer, taking into account the environmental conditions, topography, different soil types and the water sources available. Systems are flexible and are designed to produce maximum yield at minimum cost.
  
• Deployment of an accurate irrigation system that controls weeds and can carry different water qualities.
  
• The supply of organic oriented and approved pest management products such as fruit and olive flytraps and the use of bees and wasps to eradicate pests.
  
• Comprehensive support for irrigation and nutrient management for all crop types in open field and greenhouse cultivation; compost application; equipment maintenance and disinfestation.
• The application of an irrigation system that fits itself to the type of crop; these can be either an above-surface or subsurface drip irrigation system.
  
• In fruit plantations, Netafim uses “feeding channels" through which the trees are provided with a three-year compost supply. This technology uses open ditches with above-surface drippers and, when necessary, micro-sprinklers. Netafim has pioneered this technology especially for organic cultivation.
  
• In open field cultivation, the emphasis is on water-saving using accurate placing of the dripper near the target which controls weeds and prevents the leaves from getting wet;
  
• Advise on the accurate spread of compost and installation of dripper lines on top of the compost in order to provide the crop with all the nutrients it requires through the drip irrigation system.

Conventional
Low volume drip irrigation systems employed in the bio-organic systems were originally designed to save water. They originated in Israel’s Negev dessert, where dry conditions and a limited water supply created the need for an environmentally friendly crop watering system.

Today they allow large-scale delivery of precisely controlled amounts of water and fertiliser directly at the plant’s roots. Cost-effective and easily deployed, they eliminate water waste and increase crop yield. Hence conventional growers through Netafim’s Turnkey Agricultural Projects (NETAP) can just as easily use these systems and even the bio-organic package.

The reason for developing the system further and entering the organic niche was “the global consumers’ trend for safe food, which is presumed guaranteed by practicing the organic agriculture principles, while maintaining soil-plant-water balance and preserving the ecosystem," says Lutenberg.

“What guides us these days in organic agriculture is our perception that organic agriculture is practicing the ancient agricultural principles using the technology and know-how of the present for a better future to mankind and the environment," he said.      

BOX

Netafim has over 1500 employees, 12 manufacturing facilities in eight countries, 28 subsidiaries and distribution presence in over 100 countries. It has global sales of approximately $250 million and over 30 billion emitters in operation covering some 2.5 million hectares all over the world.