**1. Introduction**

Small-scale family-based farmers oftentimes suffer considerable decreases in agricultural production during prolonged periods of soil water stress. Irrigation technology using clay pots buried in the soil is promoted as being an effective, accessible, and environmentally sustainable option for small-scale family-based farmers to be able to cultivate fruit trees and vegetables, and that can promote food security [1, 2]. Irrigation technology using clay pots buried in the soil has been used in important agricultural regions in the world [1, 3, 4] such as Burkina Faso, Zambia, the USA and Pakistan. Clay pots buried in the soil have been shown to be effective in the cultivation of fruit trees and in reforestation projects [1, 3]. This technique minimizes water losses due to evapotranspiration and soil drainage during irrigation in rural areas [5], improves seed germination and crop establishment [3], thus reducing crop loss and financial loss to farmers [1].

research activities and share knowledge of technology that is low-cost, and that has a small water footprint that uses rainfall water for hydrologic replenishment in soils in

Water Replenishment in Agricultural Soils: Dissemination of the IrrigaPot Technology

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.80605

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The experiment was carried out in northern Ethiopia and the results from this field work served as the data for several theses done at the University of Mekelle. The water seeps out through the micro-pores of the clay pots with relatively slow flow and larger surface wetting time, and thus promotes a greater area of coverage around the roots of plants. Contrarily, perforated clay pots leak water faster through the macro- and micro-pores and have relatively

On the other hand, the difference between perforated bars and round ones was simply the shapes of the pots which has to do with the area of coverage along the rows of the Swiss chard plant. Round types of pots were not as suitable as bar types (of the same volume) for rows of Swiss chard crops due to their wetting area coverage along the two

Therefore, among the tested clay pot designs, the bar-shaped perforated clay pot designs were evaluated as best in terms of biomass yield and economic water-use efficiency. The water-use efficiency, economic aspects, and biomass for the perforated bar clay pot design were better than that of the bucket irrigation system. The other advantages of perforated bar clay pots over the bucket type is that the water source is inside the soil thus evaporation is almost zero and there is also less probability of occurrence of leaf disease due to wetting, and

LE = Rn − G − H (1)

where, LE is latent heat flux, Rn is net radiation, G is soil heat flux, and H is sensible heat flux.

The calculation of SR is done using Eq. (1). This is a residual energy balance equation. The net radiometer and soil heat flux plate data will be measured every 5 minutes and then averaged and recorded at the end of each 30 minutes. Soil temperature data will be recorded at the end

**2. Material and methods: low-cost and climate-smart irrigation** 

agricultural systems.

shorter wetting time and smaller area coverage.

this ultimately improves the biomass and water-use efficiency.

*2.1.1. Measuring evapotranspiration using the surface renewal technique*

**2.2. Calculation of surface renewal (SR) and measuring Rn and G**

**technology**

sides of the bar.

**2.1. Water-use evaluation**

This technology aims to provide solutions that are able to supply a crop's water needs during long dry periods [6], especially in rural areas that require irrigation to guarantee agricultural production [7]. Adopting a holistic vision of water security in regions that have an increasing demand for water in order to produce food, this technology presents indicators that point to sustainability for food security as well as for the responsible use of water resources. Therefore, locally accessible innovations that improve the efficiency of irrigation systems are necessary in order to minimize undesirable losses due to evapotranspiration and soil drainage. Such practices aim to mitigate impacts on current analyses being conducted to study the climate as well as scenarios of global climate change. Quantification of evapotranspiration rates is fundamental to the evaluation of environmental sustainability indicators. In this context, the objective of this project is to strengthen research activities and share knowledge of technology that is low-cost and that has a small water footprint that uses rainfall water for hydrologic replenishment in soils agricultural systems.

There is a great need to increase research and extension actions that make viable the diffusion of the technology of the use of rainfall water to fill clay pots buried in the soil to maintain the production of agricultural crops during prolonged periods of soil water stress under actual climate conditions and those of future scenarios influenced by climate change, and to disseminate the results in order to amplify the adoption of this technology. In the course of using the technique, new strategies of low-cost irrigation can be adapted to different production systems and also in urban environments to increase sustainability in green spaces such as parks, public squares, schools and community gardens.

Managing irrigation water is among the critical issues to address food insecurity under the changing climate. Rainfall variability has been reported to significantly impact the economies of many countries as natural rainfall is the major source of water for agriculture. Clay pot technology has been proven to significantly improve crop water productivity in dry land areas but has not been promoted or used due to the lack of a suitable cropspecific standard design. In this context, the objective of this publication is to strengthen research activities and share knowledge of technology that is low-cost, and that has a small water footprint that uses rainfall water for hydrologic replenishment in soils in agricultural systems.
