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FOCUS
Natural resources and energy
Special
DRIP IRRIGATION FOR MAIZE
– increasing and stabilising yields,
while saving water
G
rowing maize with drip irrigation
has been a common practice in
many parts of the world for over
30 years. Drip systems maintain
certain unique characteristics that help
make them the best irrigation alternative
for maize in many growing scenarios.
Drip is ideal for irrigating maize with
limited water budgets: Drip increases
water use efficiency, since it creates no
evaporation or run-off, and the water is
precisely targeted to the root zone.
Drip fits all plot shapes and sizes: Unlike
centre pivots and other irrigation meth-
ods, drip can be used in odd-shaped
and small fields.
Drip can achieve perfect water distribu-
tion even on extreme slopes: Pressure-
compensated drippers allow uniform
water emission across all parts of the
plot regardless of slope, and unlike
other irrigation methods, drip installa-
tion in sloped areas is common practice.
Drip is ideal for rainy areas due to ef-
ficient fertilisation: Drip enables daily
fertiliser application so that the fertiliser
can be divided into small portions, lead-
ing to less nutrient loss due to leaching
caused by rain.
Drip requires the lowest energy con-
sumption: Drip operates at low pres-
sures, so it can significantly cut irrigation
costs, compared to other pressurised
systems in areas where electricity is ex-
pensive.
Drip is ideal for irrigating uniformly un-
der windy conditions: Drip is unaffected
by wind – unlike overhead irrigation
systems.
High yields with
limited water
In the evolving history of irrigating maize
with drip, the first areas worldwide that
adopted the method were arid and semi-
arid locations where water scarcity is se-
vere, and where rain during the growing
season is scarce or non-existent. For exam-
ple, drip has replaced sprinkler and traveller
gun irrigation in the area of Konya in cen-
tral Turkey, where hundreds of thousands of
hectares are irrigated annually.
There has been a similar trend in parts of
the US, especially in Nebraska, Texas and
Kansas. In those areas, the depletion of lo-
cal aquifers has driven producers to look for
irrigation practices enabling them to grow
more maize with their limited water budget.
From rain-fed to drip
– increasing productivity
while reducing risk
Next in line to have interest in irrigation in
general and in drip irrigation in particular,
are the rain-fed maize producers. Tradi-
tionally, they have grown crops according
to timely rainfall. Today, however, they un-
derstand that to secure high and consistent
yields year-on-year, they need to irrigate;
otherwise, some years will be good, while
others will be a financial disaster.
Yields in these areas are being driven to
new records, due to not only water aspects,
but also nutritional aspects. In rainy areas,
the leaching of nutrients and the deficits
they create limit high yields. Therefore, the
ability to spoon-feed the crop with a drip
system at any time and with any amount of
nutrients is critical to reach high yields.
Drip irrigated maize in
South Africa
Although drip is extremely common in
many parts of the world, it is rare, even non-
existent, when it comes to growing maize in
South Africa.
Netafim, the global leader in drip irriga-
tion for over 50 years, will launch four
maize irrigation trial sites in South Africa
in the 2016/2017 season. Netafim South
Africa, along with local dealers, have cho-
sen the sites, which include locations in the
Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, North West and
Gauteng.
‘The recent drought has made South Afri-
can maize producers more conscious about
water use efficacy, and we have had dozens
of inquiries from all over the country. The
sites chosen for the initial demo installa-
tions represent different growing scenarios
in the South African maize market, aiming
to help us adjust practices that are common
overseas to our local conditions.
‘We are taking into consideration water
quality and available quantity, climate, soil,
and most importantly, local farm practices
and workforce capabilities. American, Turk-
ish or Italian producers are not similar to
our producers, and therefore, we need to
ensure that the systems we offer are cost-
efficient, reliable and easily operated in our
conditions,’ Mr Chris Malan (chief agrono-
mist: Netafim SA) said.
45
November 2016
Product information
LIOR PELEG,
head: Strategic Crops, Netafim Corporate
Name
Dan Luepkes
Total farm size
800 ha
Drip irrigated area
80 ha installed in 2015
Previous maize yield on plot (rain-fed)
9 t/ha
2015 maize yield with drip
18,5 t/ha
2016 target yield
20 t/ha of maize; 6,5 t/ha of soybean
Comments: ‘I took the worst soil on the farm and made it my best.’
TABLE 1: CASE STUDY FROM ILLINOIS, US.
Dan Luepkes in his drip irrigated maize.