FEATURE
Undercover farming Opportunities beckon in water-efficient farming Undercover farming offers more opportunities for sustainable farming to farmers in Africa, in comparison with landbased farming. This is true especially in an environment in which climate change has driven the world to reconsider traditional methods of farming.
O
ver 60% of the Africa’s population is involved in small holder farming, in one form or the other (McKinsley Report, Winning in African Agriculture 2019). Somewhat, in the past this served the subsistence requirement for staple food, save for years of famine when western donor agencies had to intervene to provide assistance. Nonetheless, two ongoing developments have emerged as risks to the sustainability of this traditional method of farming: climate change which has resulted in drought conditions and depletion of arable land due to population growth. As you would expect, this has raised concerns about future food security.
that have risen to prominence in the past decade as a viable option is undercover farming (also called tunnel farming). Undercover farming is a new parlance for farming with hydroponics in greenhouses.
Drip irrigation is managed through pre-set electronic system that also controls the interior climate (humidity, airflow and temperature). The ultimate objective is to create conditions that permit optimal plant growth.
What is hydroponic cultivation? In hydropronic cultivation, plant roots are suspended in oxygenated water instead of soil in a controlled environment inside greenhouse structures (plastic tunnels and multi-spans) and shade netting, which offers protection against possible wind, hail and bird damage. To meet irrigation requirements, micro-irrigation and a drip irrigation system are used.
What do farmers benefit? There is no question that undercover farming offers more opportunities for sustainable farming, in comparison with land-based farming. This is true especially in an environment in which climate change has driven the world to reconsider the traditional method of farming.
Evidently, this situation calls for the urgent exploration of alternative methods of farming that can help manage growing drought condition and land scarcity. Interestingly, one of the methods
In micro-irrigation, moisture is delivered in a fine mist. In drip irrigation, single drops of water are delivered at a regulated rate at the base of the stem.
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i. Water efficiency The primary advantage of a hydroponic system is that it uses little water. If optimised, hydroponic system can little as 30% of the amount of water typically used to grow a similar crop on open land under irrigation. Also, there is less water
