Innovations

N-Drip irrigation system saves money, water

A former Israeli farmer thinks he may be on to an alternative to flood irrigation. Eran Pollak tells Brownfield the irrigation technology of N-Drip, of which he’s CEO, cuts down on water waste associated with flood irrigation.

“And by that you increase the efficiency of irrigation by at least 50 percent, relative to flood [irrigation],” said Pollak, in an interview with Brownfield Ag News.

Along with better efficiency, Pollak says N-Drip also results in greater productivity.

“You regulate the amount of water that the plants receive into the root zone together of course with the fertilizer and any additional material that you want to send to the roots,” said Pollak, speaking from Israel.

Most U.S. irrigated commodity crops are watered by flood irrigation because of the high initial cost outlay of traditional drip irrigation systems as well as high energy costs, said Pollak.

“We set up a system which is efficient as drip irrigation in terms of higher yield, less water, less fertilizer, less labor,” said Pollak, “but without all the additional cost.”

N-Drip’s Gravity Micro Irrigation System helps farmers irrigate precisely and efficiently, according to The company’s promotional literature, optimizing yields without requiring expensive pumps or filters.

“And the result is that you reduce the amount of water that you use by about 50 percent, and at the same time you increase the level of yield,” he said. “The academic research talked about 30 to 35 percent increase in yield.”

The system provides an easy-to-install economic solution that uses the field’s existing infrastructure and is powered by gravity, said the company. As a result, water flows efficiently using sustainable energy while lowering labor costs and money spent on fertilizers.