Climate uncertainty pushes farmers to adopt precision watering

Drought and water scarcity are forcing farmers worldwide to rethink irrigation. From Europe’s driest spring in a century to unpredictable El Niño and La Niña patterns in South America, growers are increasingly adopting micro-irrigation as a safeguard.

According to Peruvian media, drip systems deliver water directly to roots with about 90% efficiency, far higher than the 60% achieved by conventional surface methods. In Italy’s Po Valley, where snow shortages caused record lows in the country’s largest river, some farms cut water use by up to 70% after switching to precision drip irrigation combined with crop monitoring.

Changing rainfall patterns make efficient irrigation essential. Peruvian farmers state that drip technology keeps crops productive even under extreme drought.

Governments are beginning to back micro-irrigation with incentives, recognising it as a key climate-adaptation tool. As droughts and heat waves become more frequent, experts warn that scaling up micro-irrigation will be central to protecting global food security.

source: agraria.pe

photo: inglebyfarms.com