**3.1. Expected results and importance of IrrigaPot technology: Amazon/Brazil**

The expected results consist of the development of an irrigation technology using different intelligent solutions for the replenishment of soil water for different types of crops in Brazil (**Figure 3**), an increase in the number of farmers that understand the principles of this technology and that are able to develop new alternatives for the fabrication and use of these clay pots, development and testing of different forms of clay pots capable of satisfying crop water demand at low cost to producers, use of the successful results to create a specific line of credit for farmers to be able to fully use the IrrigaPot user-friendly, low-cost technology for water replenishment in agricultural systems, an increase in the supply and diversity of agricultural produce during dry periods, and an improvement in the quality of life of small-scale farmers thus allowing them to remain in the rural area using low-cost technology and reducing losses due to seasonal drought. Furthermore, we expect an increase in food security in a situation where rainfall variability threatens the food supply, and that rainfall storage will guarantee a water source with low or no loss of rainfall collected in the rainy season.

The results from the Demonstration Units (DU) show gains in yield in the production of crops that use IrrigaPot technology by guaranteeing production during months with low rainfall. Agricultural producers express contentment due to the economic gains with the sale of products cultivated in areas using clay pots. In an interview [14] about the IrrigaPot Project, rural producers that cultivate using agroecological principles emphasized that the greater availability of water for plants guarantees gains and reduces preoccupation with crop failure, which allows them to engage in other activities on their property. The use of rainfall allows for the planting of species that previously could not be planted such as peanuts, tomatoes, peppers and achocha, associated with diverse fruit species. At the DU in the Lavras community (Santarém, Pará) plants maintained their production during the period of low rainfall in the region. Acerola plants and orange and tangerine trees guaranteed the availability of fruits at the local outdoor markets. Results published in different media sources [14–16] increased interest for the installation of this technology in new areas in many Brazilian States such as

**Figure 3.** Monitoring and evaluation of water consumption, growth, development and productivity of crops (demands

Water Replenishment in Agricultural Soils: Dissemination of the IrrigaPot Technology

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

85

The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa Amazônia Oriental/NAPT Médio Amazonas) presented this technology to organic producers, extension workers, and university professors and students highlighting the results from the Lavras community

Acre, Tocantins, Amapá and Paraná (**Figure 3**).

in northeast and southern Brazil).

This technology will also provide greater opportunity and time for formal education due to the reduction in labor necessary to irrigate crops in the dry season, and thus help to eliminate child labor that is common in areas that have streams and small rivers used to supply water to crops, and will provide new opportunities to women that, now with more free time, can dedicate themselves to other artisanal activities or pursue a formal education, and production costs will therefore be reduced due to lower labor demand. Additionally, estimates of evapotranspiration will be used to help to plan a cropping strategy that uses water efficiently, with the water footprint as an indicator of crop sustainability for crops that adopt the IrrigaPot technology.

Water Replenishment in Agricultural Soils: Dissemination of the IrrigaPot Technology http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.80605 85

The highest economic performance was obtained in furrow irrigation during the first harvest due to higher investment in clay pots. However, after analyzing return on investment (six consecutive harvests) the bar shaped clay pot irrigation was highly superior in economic performance compared to the furrow irrigation practices. A marginal rate of return indicated that 478.18, 258.82 and 221.47% was obtained in Swiss chard, pepper and tomato, respectively. Sensitivity analysis also indicated that adoption of the findings is feasible and practical.

Comparisons of the irrigation methods using the clay pots showed that there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) for tomatoes irrigated in rows. The authors [13] infer that water availability was adequate and uniform in the clay pots compared to the irregular availability in the soil for the row-irrigated crops. The cumulative yield of the three vegetable crops irrigated using clay pots were significantly superior (p < 0.05) than crops irrigated in rows. There was a 30% increase in yield in the system where water was replaced using clay pots compared to the system wherein green pepper was irrigated in rows. These results show that the technology that irrigates using clay pots can be used even in conditions that use brackish or salty water. Furthermore, the yield of tomato was 32% greater using clay pots than for those irrigated in rows, thus confirming the efficiency of this system. Similarly, the yield of Swiss chard showed an increase in biomass of 51% using clay pots. This increase can be explained by the fact that Swiss chard has a shallow rooting system which facilitates the absorption of water in this

system using clay pots as compared to irrigation in rows [4].

84 Soil Moisture

**3.1. Expected results and importance of IrrigaPot technology: Amazon/Brazil**

water source with low or no loss of rainfall collected in the rainy season.

The expected results consist of the development of an irrigation technology using different intelligent solutions for the replenishment of soil water for different types of crops in Brazil (**Figure 3**), an increase in the number of farmers that understand the principles of this technology and that are able to develop new alternatives for the fabrication and use of these clay pots, development and testing of different forms of clay pots capable of satisfying crop water demand at low cost to producers, use of the successful results to create a specific line of credit for farmers to be able to fully use the IrrigaPot user-friendly, low-cost technology for water replenishment in agricultural systems, an increase in the supply and diversity of agricultural produce during dry periods, and an improvement in the quality of life of small-scale farmers thus allowing them to remain in the rural area using low-cost technology and reducing losses due to seasonal drought. Furthermore, we expect an increase in food security in a situation where rainfall variability threatens the food supply, and that rainfall storage will guarantee a

This technology will also provide greater opportunity and time for formal education due to the reduction in labor necessary to irrigate crops in the dry season, and thus help to eliminate child labor that is common in areas that have streams and small rivers used to supply water to crops, and will provide new opportunities to women that, now with more free time, can dedicate themselves to other artisanal activities or pursue a formal education, and production costs will therefore be reduced due to lower labor demand. Additionally, estimates of evapotranspiration will be used to help to plan a cropping strategy that uses water efficiently, with the water footprint as an indicator of crop sustainability for crops that adopt the IrrigaPot technology.

**Figure 3.** Monitoring and evaluation of water consumption, growth, development and productivity of crops (demands in northeast and southern Brazil).

The results from the Demonstration Units (DU) show gains in yield in the production of crops that use IrrigaPot technology by guaranteeing production during months with low rainfall. Agricultural producers express contentment due to the economic gains with the sale of products cultivated in areas using clay pots. In an interview [14] about the IrrigaPot Project, rural producers that cultivate using agroecological principles emphasized that the greater availability of water for plants guarantees gains and reduces preoccupation with crop failure, which allows them to engage in other activities on their property. The use of rainfall allows for the planting of species that previously could not be planted such as peanuts, tomatoes, peppers and achocha, associated with diverse fruit species. At the DU in the Lavras community (Santarém, Pará) plants maintained their production during the period of low rainfall in the region. Acerola plants and orange and tangerine trees guaranteed the availability of fruits at the local outdoor markets. Results published in different media sources [14–16] increased interest for the installation of this technology in new areas in many Brazilian States such as Acre, Tocantins, Amapá and Paraná (**Figure 3**).

The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa Amazônia Oriental/NAPT Médio Amazonas) presented this technology to organic producers, extension workers, and university professors and students highlighting the results from the Lavras community (Santarém, Pará). The participants manifested interest in installing new units of the IrrigaPot project because they learned how rainfall could be used in agriculture during the dry months from August to November. The clay pots are maintained in the soil with 20 l of water and are able to meet plant water needs. It is important to emphasize that the use of rainfall waters reduced the blue water footprint of agriculture, because all the water used in irrigation comes from water that is stored during high-rainfall months in areas that adopt the IrrigaPot technology.

**Acknowledgements**

**Author details**

Jaboticabal, Brazil

**References**

Lucieta G. Martorano1

Council) for financial support.

Ayllan Rayanne da Silva Lima4

Aline Michelle da Silva Barbosa3

\*, Araya A. Berhe2

\*Address all correspondence to: lucieta.martorano@embrapa.br

1 Embrapa Eastern Amazon/NAPT, Santarem, Brazil

5 Environmental Engineer, University of Pará State, Brazil

University of Agriculture and Technology; 1995. pp. 15-21

Journal of Medical and Biological Research. 2014;**1**(3):122-127

2 Mekelle University Campus, Tigray, Ethiopia

Available from: http://upetd.up.ac.za

www.sciencedirect.com

4 Federal University of Amazonas, Brazil

The authors would like to thank the MKTPlace Project and CNPq (Brazilian National Research

, Douglas Cavalcante Costa3,5,

3 School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp),

[1] Daka AE. Chapter 7 Clay pot sub-surface irrigation as water-saving technology for small-farmer irrigation in Development of a technological package for sustainable use of Dambos by small-scale farmers [PhD thesis]. South Africa: University of Pretoria; 2001.

[2] Okalebo JA, Home PG, Lenga FK. Pitcher irrigation: A new irrigation technique to curb the effects of salinization. In: Proceedings of the 7th Conference of the Society of Agricultural Engineers on Engineering the Economy. Nairobi, Kenya: Jomo Kenyatta

[3] Bainbridge D. Buried clay-pot irrigation: A little-known but very efficient traditional method of irrigation. Agricultural Water Management. 2001;**48**(2):79-88. Available from:

[4] Araya AB, Martorano LG, Girma A, Habtu S, Kebede H, Hadgu KM. Comparative efficiency evaluation of different clay pots versus bucket irrigation system under Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla) growers condition in Northern Ethiopia. Malaysian

[5] Tsegasy Wolde-Georgis. Testing the Use of Clay Pots Sub-surface Irrigation Methods for Dry Land Farming in Atebes, Ethiopia, Progress Report to the Directors of Conservation,

and Marcelo Coelho Marques<sup>3</sup>

, José Reinaldo da Silva Cabral de Moraes<sup>3</sup>

Water Replenishment in Agricultural Soils: Dissemination of the IrrigaPot Technology

,

87

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Using this process of collective learning, seminars were given wherein the fundamental techniques of irrigation with clay pots were presented in the DUs. Among the 150 participants in these activities, which were conducted in Altônia, in the northeast of the State of Paraná, the majority of them demonstrated interest in using this technology in their properties, but the largest barrier to this was established as the fabrication of the clay pots. This collective learning activity heightened the awareness of farmers of the importance of the adoption of this technology as a strategy for the sustainable cultivation of crops through replacement of water to soil during dry periods in order to guarantee production [17].
