state of the art in irrigation water … · effective irrigation and fertigation processes require...

STATE OF THE ART IN IRRIGATION WATER MANAGEMENT

Naty Barak

Head of Sustainable Development

Water Management in Scarcity Regions: The Experience of Israel

Forum del Mediterraneo, February 26th 2010

1

AGENDA

Wastewater Recycling

Irrigation Technology

Product R&D

Sub Surface Drip Irrigation

Irrigation Management

Cost, Subsidies, Pricing & Regulation

22

Global Environmental Awareness

2/3 of Earth’ Surface is Water

97.5% Salty Water 2.5% Fresh Water

68.9% Ice29.9%

Underground0.9 Swamp

0.3%Rivers & Lakes

0.007% of Total is Available

3

70% of the available water goes to agriculture

4Source: Blue Planet Run, R. Smolan, 2008

Water consumption for agriculture in the supply chain:

� 1 Pair of jeans: 4100 liters

� 1 T shirt: 2700 liters

� 1 Glass of beer: 75 liters

� Apple: 70 liters

� 1 Liter of milk: 1000 liter

� Kg of rice: 3400 liter

� 1 Cup of tea: 30 liter

� 1 Slice of bread: 40 liter

� 1 Kg beef: 15,000 liter

5

Moses led us to Israel, but did not pass on his technology to us…

6

Netafim™ at a glance:

� Born out of a need to save water and make the Israeli desert bloom

� Simcha Blass and Kibbutz Hatzerim founded Netafim in1965 with the concept of drip irrigation

� Ag2Ag Business(Farmers to farmers)

7

• Water supply is shrinking• Greater climate variability• Pollution of water sources

Two main reasons for the increase in demand for water:• Population growth (Tripled between 1960 to 2007)• Increase in standard of living

1400

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Potable water resources Potable water demand

A growing shortfall betweenIsrael’s water supply and demand

MCM/Year

8

Israel’s solutions

New water sources

� Wastewater Recycling

� Using brackish water

� Desalination

Efficient usage of water

� Products & systems

� Management

Water tariff structure

By 2020 marginal & wastewater used for

agriculture can make up to 60%, releasing fresh water for

other uses. (“produced” water rather than “collected”)

% wastewater of total water used for agriculture

9

AGENDA



Product R&D




10

Reused effluent in Israel inrelation to other countries

0%

10%

Israel Spain Australia Italy Greece C Europe

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

<1%5%8%9%12%

75%

11

Why recycle?� Limited new water sources

� Relieves potable water demand

� Reduces pollution to rivers and estuaries

– Improves potable water quality

– Restores river/lake levels/wetlands

– Offers reliable water supply (drought-proof)

– Restores groundwater levels

– Lowers cost to users compared with other alternatives (importing water)

12

Obstacles to water reuse

� Cost of treatment and distribution

� Public perception

� No regulatory guidance

� Inexpensive alternative water supplies

� Needed storage capacity between seasons

� But:

� No technical problem

� Municipality’s obligation for basic treatment of wastewater results in lower costs for further treatments

13

Dan region WWTP and reclamation-160 MCM/Y transferred to the south for agriculture

2.0 million p.e.

160,000,000 cu.m/year

14

A local treatment facility in a southern suburb

There are many local treatment facilities in Israel, differing in technology, size and output.

The water is used for local landscaping and agriculture.

15

AGENDA



Product R&D




1616

Precise irrigation reserves resources

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0.4

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דד

מ Grow More with Less -Irrigation efficiency in Israel

Water for agriculture Crop yield

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1200

1000

800

600

400

200

0

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2100 2200

MCM

Annual water use in Israel

19

The challenge

New and improved technologies are needed:

� To handle poor quality and saline water

� To increase water efficiency

� To monitor and Minimize Usage of Chemicals and nutrients, reducing water source pollution

� To save energy

� To prevent soil erosion

20

AGENDA



Product R&D




21

Handling saline & poor quality water

� Drippers with shorter & wider flow path (High turbulence)

� Water source (infield) filtration

� Integral filtration and self cleaning of the dripper

� Non Leakage mechanism

� Pulse & Low Flow systems

22

Low flow & Low Pressure irrigation systemLow pressure systems (LPS)

Pulse irrigation systems

� With low flow, longer pulses reduce inaccuracies

� Lower energy requirements

� Better water distribution

23

clayeyClay-Heavy Sandy Loam- Medium Sandy- light

Gravity

Capillary

Pulse irrigation systemsLower flow rate: less gravity, better horizontal water distribution

24

AGENDA



Product R&D




25

Sub Surface Drip Irrigation (SDI)

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Sub Surface Drip Irrigation (SDI)

� Less evaporation – additional 10% to 15% water saving

� Protection from damages, vandalism & animals

� Water and nutrients available directly to root zone

� Deep SDI keeps surface dry, prevents weeds, increases water savings

� SDI advantages when using wastewater:– Reduces surface contamination

– Prevents contact with fruit

– Prevents wild animals from drinking the water

– Disposal of effluent

– “Nutrients Inside”

27

Technology developed for SDI:

� Burying machinery

� Built-in physical barrier to prevent root intrusion

� Chemical treatment to prevent root intrusion

� Anti-Siphon drippers

� Maintenance routines to prevent clogging

28

AGENDA



Dripper Technology




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CMT - Crop Management Technology� Effective irrigation and fertigation processes require the integration of intelligent

planning, managerial and maintenance practices

� Valuable, real-time field data result in technologies that benefit farmers, letting them

control and manage their crops

� A platform for central management of multiple farms

� Local or remote

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CMT - Crop Management Technology

� Can run separate protocol for each individual grower

� Agronomic management is conducted through integration of three main tools– Controllers

– Sensors

– Knowledge

31

Sensors

Dendrometer: Stem diameter measurement

� Plant’s shrinkage & expansion

� Stress detection & plant growing patterns

� Adjusting irrigation schedule according to plant’s needs

Tensiometer

Capacitance technologyMonitors the volumetric water content (VWC) of the soil

Fertilizer Meter

Leaf thickness sensor monitors leaf turgor

32

Evapotranspiration (ETo)

� Transpiration - evaporation of water

from plant canopy directly into the

atmosphere.

� Evapotranspiration - sum of

transpiration and water evaporated

from the soil.

33

Evapotranspiration (ETo)

� Calculated ETo rather than class A pan is widely used in calculating

irrigation needs in Israel

� Irrigation scheduling is based on Crop Factor (Kc), and on daily

climate data that includes maximum & minimum temperature, relative

humidity, global radiation and wind velocity.

34

Weather station� Sensors:

– Air temperature

– Relative humidity

– Solar radiation

– Wind speed

– Rain gauge

– Wind direction

– Soil temperature

� Calculations: – Evapotranspiration (ETo)

– Dew point

– Brightness

– Max. wind speed

– Open fields or greenhouse applications

– Irrigation scheduling

– Disease prediction models

35

AGENDA



Dripper Technology


Management


36

Water creation and production costs

$0.61

0.44 0.340.170.12

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

Sea Water

Desalination

Brackish

Water

Desalination

Treated

Water

Desalination

Treated

Water

Natural

Water

Higher water costs caused by entry into the era of desalination requires a wise tariff policy

Production cost of 1 m³ in Israel

37

Higher water prices for agriculture in Israel over the years have contributed to more efficient use of water and the adoption of advanced technologies

$M^3

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

0.15

0.20

0.25

0.30

0.35

fresh water water price

Fresh water used in agriculture vs. water price

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Subsidies & pricing policies currently in implementation

� Incentives for establishment of treatment facilities

� Incentives for establishment of reservoirs & storage facilities

� Grants and loans for water related R&D

� Tariff policy

Water Price ($)

0.200.16

0.31

0.0

0.1

0.1

0.2

0.2

0.3

0.3

0.4

Sec

onda

ryef

fluen

t

Dan

Reg

ion

WW

PT

Fresh

water

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Government grants for efficiency & savings in water (Since October 2007)

� Aimed at farmers that were hit by price increase of water for agriculture use

� Managed by a joint committee of Ministry of Agriculture, Water Authority & Ministry of Finance

� Up to 70% of the investment in the following items:– Systems to collect drainage & roof water in greenhouses

– Filtration systems for brackish and wastewater

– Irrigation automation and management tools, tensiometers & dendrometers

– Non return valves

– Main network rehabilitation

– Water recycling systems

– Reducing evaporation – Wind protection, shading, Sub Surface drip irrigation

40

Cost effectiveness and accessibility on small and large scale

Drokasa, Peru, 3000 Ha. Grapes, asparagus & avocadoAprox. $5000/Ha for last phase of 1500 Ha. (1000 asparagus & 500 avocado)

Swaziland6100 Ha. Sugar CaneAprox. $2450/Ha.

41

Cost effectiveness and accessibility on small and large scale

Niamey-Niger, 900 X 500 m² vegetables

Aprox. $200 / 500 m²

Japan

8 Ha. Glasshouse, tomatoes

Aprox. $300,000 / Ha. For Irrigation, control & Water recycling

42

Cost estimates & ROI

Cost per Hectare, based on small / medium plots (5 Ha.)

Water Source Crop Spacing Cost / Ha.

Citrus 5m $2,600Vineyard 3m $2550 *

Vegetables 1.5m $4,750Citrus 5m $2,000

Vineyard 3m $2,200Vegetables 1.5m $4,000

River / Canal

Well

Cost per Hectare, based on large plots (100 Ha.)


Citrus 5m $1,800Vineyard 3m $2,000

Vegetables 2.5m $2,500Vegetables 1.5m $3,000

Cotton 1.93m $2600 *Sugar Cane 1.80m $2500 *

Well

* Lower cost due to lower irrigation rate * Lower cost: SDI allows for a lower wall thickness

- Cost is based on infield systems, when water source is at the head of the field

- ROI under average conditions is 3 to 4 years

- When an investment in infrastructure is needed ROI will be higher

43

Cost estimates & ROI

Factors effecting cost:• Irrigation rate needs

• Water quality – water source

• Distance from water source

• Type of dripper

• SDI allows for lower wall thickness

CMT: rule of thumb – 5% to 10% of cost of irrigation system

Factors effecting ROI:• High costs of water, energy

• Existing yields

• Market prices for crops

Type of investment - effect on cost & return:• Rain fed to Drip: High cost of infrastructure, Very high increase in yield

• Flood or furrow to drip: Medium cost of infrastructure, high increase in yield

• Sprinkler to drip: Low cost of infrastructure, Med / high increase in yield

Relative value of project benefits

44

Cost estimates & ROI – Family Drip System

- Cost per Hectare, based on Family Drip System

- 20 units @ $200 each


ROI / years

River / canal Vegetables 1.5m $4,000 1

45Logo_295blu_W_Tagline

Yield and Revenue from five vegetable species, each planted in a 500m² plot and irrigated with a conventional and with a Family Drip System in Niame y-Niger

Values are the total of two (June-Oct. and Nov.-April) production seasons per year

Crop Conventional FDS Revenue Increase

Yield (Kg)

Revenue ($)

Yield (Kg)

Revenue ($)

% $

Tomatoes 2000 1215 7,200 6171 508 4956

Melons 2000 999 2950 1685 167 686

Eggplants 3000 1392 8150 4657 335 3265

Lettuce 2000 928 7800 5013 540 4085

Cabbage 3000 1070 11200 4800 449 3730

The Niamey-Niger FDS

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The Israeli Arava Desert� 4,500 ha. producing 65% of vegetable exports from Israel

� Rainfall can be as little as 20 mm/year

� Water salinity X3 (600 to 1500 mg/l)

� Several local treatment facilities

47Alexandra Boulat

Every drop counts

THANK YOU

Head of Sustainable Development

Naty Barak

state of the art in irrigation water … · effective irrigation and fertigation processes require...

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