Drip irrigation allows families in Nicaragua to grow their own vegetables

The biggest problem facing families trying to grow their own vegetables is the shortage of water. Even in the rainy season, rainfall can be unreliable.

A drip irrigation system is now solving this problem, and enabling families to grow nutritious vegetables such as tomatoes, chiltoma peppers, beans, ayote and aubergines.

Implementation of the system in various communities by Plan Nicaragua is helping improve food supply, quality, and family incomes, as families develop their own vegetable gardens.

The drip irrigation system enables:

• gardens to be watered during the dry season
• a supplementary water supply for the family and their harvests

How it works:

• the system consists of two barrels (holding 54 gallons) and a drainage pipe with filter
• water drips onto plants from hosepipes connected to the drainage pipe
• the water comes from wells and is extracted using rose pumps

Environmental sustainability
The vegetables are fertilized with organic matter, using methods such as bocachi, compost, biofertilizer, fruit and wood vinegar. Neem and pepper are among the products used as insecticides. The system follows the principles of systainable agriculture.

Surplus food can be sold at local markets, improving family income
Don Jesus Espinoza's 450 square meter vegetable garden, produced 100 pounds of beans, 160 crates of chiltoma, 144 pipians, 400 cucumbers, 2000 aubergines and almost 600 boxes of vara beans. This harvest would never have been possible witout the drip system, and his family now have a surplus to sell.

Nutritional advice is part of the program, which stimulates the consumption of less traditional but very nutritious vegetables such as augergine and camote (sweet potato).