DRIP IRRIGATION USING PLASTIC BOTTLE FOR NEWLY PLANTED SEEDLINGS

With climate change wreaking havoc on the usual weather patterns, relying on the rain to nourish newly planted trees is just unreliable. With episodes of rain just as abruptly replaced with episodes of continuing dry weather, there is a need for better water management and irrigation techniques to ensure lower mortality rates or even eradicate having new trees die.

Towards this end, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) encourages partners in tree growing to adopt the drip irrigation system it developed. It is a simple technology that directly addresses scarcity of water moisture, especially of newly planted seedlings. The system, which RAFI helped developed in Cebu, makes use of empty plastic bottles, and is one way of conserving water and helping plants get needed moisture during the dry months.

This is made especially crucial because Cebu now only has 2,000 hectares, or roughly just 0.6 percent of its 508,800 total land area. To successfully adopt drip irrigation during tree-planting activities, the following procedure should be observed: 1Fill up the empty plastic bottle with water. (Please note that the empty plastic bottles to be used should have a functional cap and without holes.) Once full, reseal the bottle by twisting the cap and tightening it. Be sure not to over-tighten the cap to avoid losing its thread. 2Make one 1 to 2 millimeter hole at the vertical bottom portion of the bottle 10-15 millimeters from the bottom portion.

3Loosen

the cap to check if the hole is functional. It is considered functional if water flows continuously from the hole. Tighten back the cap to control the flow of air that regulates the flow of water. Just allow a slow drop of the water, enough to provide continuous moisture to the soil. 4Put the filled-up bottle beside the newly planted seedling. Make sure that the hole is facing directly the root system of the seedling.

5Fill

the hole with loose soil. Make sure that a 1- to 2-inch portion of the cap area of the bottle is visible aboveground. This allows easy re-filling of the water.

6Add

organic mulch of dry leaves besides the newly planted seedlings to regulate the heat at the base of the newly planted seedling. 7Check and re-fill the bottle with water 8 to10 days after planting, especially during summer or during a drought. 8In addition, the drip bottle can also be used as a container for liquid fertilizer for seedlings that need direct ion nutrient support. After one year, the drip irrigation plastic bottle can be transferred to another newly planted seedling.