Mitigating & Surviving DROUGHT
Originally Posted: May 1, 2011
About four years ago, I began planting fruit trees
in an old coconut grove in
To prevent dehydration, I had water transported on
horseback from a river about ˝ kilometers downhill. It was an expensive &
almost futile effort. Some trees died & many were stunted.
Since weather patterns continue to be uncertain and
will most likely worsen, I implemented measures to Catch & Keep Rain. I
also devised the Plant
ROOT Injector. Both aim to help lessen (mitigate & survive) the effects
of drought.
Even before actual perfomance
& effectiveness on fruit trees are determined, it was obvious the Plant ROOT Injector
can also be used to grow high value vegetable crops more economically &
profitably in lieu of costly technologies & alternatives like drip
irrigation, hydrophonics, etc. See:
http://www.biofuelswork.com/Rain/Rain.htm
and
http://www.biofuelswork.com/Injector/Injector.htm
This year’s summer will
reportedly be Delayed
and Short
& Wet Summer.
See:
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/214715/pagasa-summer-not-quite-here-yet
and
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/210739/pagasa-expect-short-wet-summer
However, even as these reports are happening in
Laguna where I have been planting, these pictures tell a different story.
One
of 2 water retention pond built by author in June & July 2010 (before the
onset of Wet Season) for the purpose of Collecting & Storing RAIN.
As
designed, the water retention pond shown above filled & absorbed rainwater
several times in the 2010 wet season. As a result, the pond depth is shallower
due to silting. However, notice severe cracks despite reports of a Delayed
and Short
& Wet Summer. (Pictures were taken on April 20, 2011.)
The
problem is serious. While this pond filled & refilled with rainwater
several times during last year’s wet season as evidenced by flourishing grass
& weeds and despite being surrounded by tall trees that provide shade to
keep direct sunlight from bearing-down/heating-up the pond surface, the ground
(even 12+ inches below the surface) was bone dry.
Even
gardens equipped with costly drip irrigation systems will be adversely affected
especially if their systems are inoperational due to
poor maintenance, lack of funds, etc.
The
Plant ROOT Injector
is a simple & cheap tool that can deliver water & nutrients effectively
to root systems (like costly Drip Irrigation & Hydrophonic
systems.) It can be very useful when water is scarce. Likewise, it can be very
effective when minute amounts of expensive fertilizers are available to achieve
optimum results.
Although
the Plant ROOT
Injector was primarily designed & used for young fruit trees planted in
upland areas, its effectiveness & performance will also be determined &
assessed. To expedite tests & produce timely “initial data” the above plots
planted to corn will be observed & evaluated. Half will be watered &
fertilized in the usual manner & half will be watered using the Plant ROOT Injector.
For the latter, only 50% water & 50% fertilization will be used. (These
pictures were taken on April 20, 2011. They will be updated regularly until the
corn is harvested. )
In
addition to the banana trunk mulch (to keep the soil around these lanzones seedlings from getting scorched by hot sunlight) Plant ROOT Injectors
will be installed to revive & keep them alive.
Hopefully,
by using the Plant
ROOT Injector young plants like these coffee trees that are starting to
flower & bear fruits will become hardier, healthier & more productive.
Please check out these relevant topics also:
Overcoming DROUGHT with the Plant ROOT Injector at http://www.biofuelswork.com/INJECTOR/Injector.htm (March 24, 2011)
Mitigating DROUGHT at http://www.biofuelswork.com/DROUGHT/Drought.htm (May 1, 2011)
Harvesting RAIN at http://www.biofuelswork.com/RAIN/Harvesting.htm (June 18, 2011)
Storing RAIN at http://www.biofuelswork.com/RAIN/Storing.htm (July 2, 2011)
Plant ROOT Injector Tests at http://www.biofuelswork.com/INJECTOR/Tests.htm
(July 2, 2011)
Or
visit our homepage at http://www.biofuelswork.com for other interesting
topics. Thank you.