New forms of irrigation and tillage fight drought

The Holy Land, Israel more exactly, is mostly desert and has led the world in being an outstanding leader in water conservation irrigation. This may sound strange after the many Gospel stories on the Sea of Galilee, but this is reality.

That same Holy Land motivation is at work in our part of the world, especially in our present drought situation. Farmers are finding assistance in forms of conservation irrigation as well as new forms of tillage.

In some parts of the country you have very likely seen the big center pivot irrigation systems. Driving down the highway you saw a big contraption squirting lots of water into the air and many of them had a water cannon on the end that shot out water in great amounts over still more area. This big contraption very slowly pivoted around a center anchor point irrigating a rather large round field. With our Stage 11 water information we have learned that much of the water shot into the air evaporates and is not the best watering conservation method. Thus newer updates for the center pivot irrigation systems is a change in the nozzles. This cuts out a big water display, but increases the water conservation tremendously. The use of drip irrigation also does a fantastic job irrigating conservatively.

The irrigation is only part of the solution. I have written on no till farming before, but strip-tillage takes that idea a little further. This strip-tillage some 30 percent of the normal plant row, this leaves some 70 percent undisturbed soil out of every plan row. By this elimination of the usual full-width tillage, the soil increases porosity for better water infiltration. Earth worm population increase created a soil less compacted and allows better water infiltration. This system is not easy and may take several years of practice to see excellent results.

These practices have shown results up to 95 percent effective in water conservation. Now that level of result would be great in our Stage II water conservation. Yet for the farmer it can also be a financial factor. When a farmer irrigates it does increase his crop, but it also comes with a cost. Just as you water your lawn so it looks good, that too comes with a cost in your water bill.

These new initiatives are also good stewardship of both land and water and we are all called to be good stewards of God’s earth.

Father Samuel Heitkamp is a retired priest of the archdiocese and served as director of the former rural life organization in the archdiocese.