Waterboys
Waterboys (U) Ltd. have adapted drip irrigation technology and developed a bucket kit for smallholder farmers in Uganda. The kit comprises of one 30-litre bucket (the bucket is part of the kit), and 2 x 10 m of drip tubes connected to a water distribution manifold. The drip outlets in the standard kit are spaced at 30 cm. No filter is included in the Waterboys kit.
Construction, operations and maintenance
System components
- 30-litre bucket
- 2 x 10 m complete drip line
- Manifold to connect
- 2 drip lines.
Assembly instructions
- Prepare the planting bed 1-m wide x 10-m long.
- Construct a bucket stand.
- Lay the pipes. Since all the pipes are already connected, you only need to lay them out on the bed.
- Mount the bucket on its stand.
- Connect the manifold to the bucket with a snap-in collar.
- Connect the two drip lines to the tee.
Dealing with filtration
Since a filter is not included in the kit, the Waterboys bucket kit system requires water that has already been filtered for irrigation. This may not be the case in many rural areas and even in some urban centres. Thus, if the water requires filtration, tie a clean cloth on the mouth of the bucket and always pour the water required for irrigation through it.
Field experiences
The Waterboys bucket has mainly been used in Uganda, although a number of kits are in use in Kenya and Tanzania. Elsewhere in the world, for example in India, resource-poor farmers have used drip irrigation systems with reported success.
Acknowledgements
- Sijali, Isaya V. DRIP IRRIGATION: Options for smallholder farmers in eastern and southern Africa. RELMA, 2001.