Water is an essential source of life for every living being breathing on this planet. The planet Earth is often referred to as the Blue Planet. Do you know why? It is because about 71 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered with water and the rest 29% consists of islands and continents.
To be precise, 96.5 percent of Earth’s water is found in the ocean as salt water while the other 3.5 percent is freshwater locked up in glaciers and the polar ice caps. However, how much water do we really conserve? According to the U.S. Geological Survey, about 1.7 trillion gallons of water are wasted every year.
Agriculture is the largest user of water. About 70 percent of water is used in farms worldwide within which 40 percent is wasted due to no knowledge of water management.
In order to conserve water in agricultural fields, we have come up with the six best and most affordable solutions to make you aware of the proper water management system. Keep scrolling:
1. Reserve Rainwater
Rainwater harvesting is the process of collecting rainwater in tanks and containers for future use. This process is as simple as it sounds and therefore it can be practiced in homes, parks, fields or any outdoor place.
Rainwater Harvesting helps us to reduce water wastage which otherwise gets runoff and serves no use. In countries or states that experience less rainfall and droughts, this method would help a lot.
The stored rainwater can be reused by farmers for watering crops on farms and for doing other household chores. Tamil Nadu is the first state in India that has made the rooftop rainwater harvesting structure compulsory for all houses.
2. Fix better Irrigation Systems
A proper watering system ensures crops grow healthy with almost no water loss. Drip or trickle irrigation is a method to save water in which the water drips directly into the roots of the plants either from above or below the soil.
This also prevents loss of water through evaporation and thus keeps the nutrients intact to the crops. You can also install a water float valve that helps in controlling the flow of water in and out of the tank and refilling it from time to time.
These innovative and eco-friendly techniques when used in the agricultural sector can make a huge difference in conserving the limited resource.
3. Say YES to Organic Farming
Organic farming is a method of producing fruits and vegetables without using any harmful chemicals, fertilizers, and pesticides.
It thus helps in keeping the water clean which when runoff the field does not pollute other water bodies. It is found that crops like cotton when grown non-organically require lots of water whereas organically grown cotton requires much less water.
4. Prepare an Irrigation Schedule
Crops need proper watering to grow. In order to know how and when to water, and Irrigation schedule is made. This helps in avoiding the problem of excess and minimum watering of crops.
Thus, results in conserving water and utilizing it only when required. Various sensors are available these days at reasonable prices and long battery lives which help in determining soil moisture and temperature accordingly.
5. Composting and Mulching
Compost and mulch are organic matter that when added to the soil helps in improving its quality and thus increase its power to hold moisture. It also prevents the water from evaporating thereby maintaining the temperature of the soil.
Black mulch plastic is used by farmers to cover the crops and suppress the weed. Therefore, water can be preserved using this method to a great extent.
Over to you…
Water is a limited resource and thus needs to be conserved. It is a gift of nature that should not be taken for granted. By making people aware of some of the tips mentioned above we can make a huge difference.
It is estimated that by the year 2040 there would be a tremendous scarcity of water if we do not take the necessary steps to reduce water wastage in the present. Water is life and if the water disappears so will the existence of all living beings on this planet. But hold on.
It is not the end yet. Together we can change our fates and add years to this beautiful world. So let’s join hands and start the journey to protect water from today itself.
