A new method for irrigating fields has been developed in Israel and will be presented at the upcoming International Agritech Exhibition 2009 in Tel Aviv.
The water crisis in Israel and throughout the world is expediting the development of technological solutions for reducing the amount of water used in agriculture. In the new method, dew that falls during the night is channeled and used to irrigate produce.
Normally, drops of dew that fall on a field would not reach a plant's roots since the small amount of water doesn't penetrate deep into the soil. But with the new technology, the drops of dew that fall all around the plant are directed to the few inches surrounding the center of the plant so that the roots get nourishment.
The product was developed by Tal Ya [lit. Dew of G-d], an agricultural start-up company located near Netanya in Moshav Gan Yoshiya.
In a series of tests conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Organization, integration of the new watering method saved at least 50% of water and fertilizer usage.
"Most watering systems spread the water all around the field such that much of the water seeps into the ground away from the plants' roots and much of the water evaporates," explains Avi Tamir, the founder of Tal Ya. "Our product both delivers the water right to the roots, and traps the evaporated water and recycles it back into the plant."
Since fertilizer is commonly mixed into the watering systems, reduction in water amounts is accompanied by an equal reduction in fertilizer. This fact represents significant savings for farmers in light of the sharp rise in fertilizer prices. It also reduces the pollution of ground water caused by excess fertilizer.
According to the developers, the financial outlay in purchasing the product is earned back in one season of produce.
The Tal Ya company will present its product at the upcoming Agritech 2009 Exhibition and intends to find a partner to market the product in the Israeli and world markets.
The 17th International Agricultural Exhibition will be held on May 5-7, 2009 at the Tel Aviv Exhibition Grounds. Two hundred and fifty companies will present innovations in agriculture and irrigation, developed both in Israel and abroad. Some 25 ministers and deputy ministers of agriculture from around the world will attend along with delegations from dozens of countries.