Agriculture: simple, cheap crop-saver.Precision-guided drops of nutritionally charged water have transformed a desolate and parched parch v. parched, parch·ing, parch·es v.tr. 1. To make extremely dry, especially by exposure to heat: The midsummer sun parched the earth. , communal small holding in Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho. It was formed in 1994 out of the "independent" homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, as well as the eastern portion of the Cape Province. , South Africa South Africa, Afrikaans Suid-Afrika, officially Republic of South Africa, republic (2005 est. pop. 44,344,000), 471,442 sq mi (1,221,037 sq km), S Africa. into a thriving farm producing a bumper crop In agriculture, a bumper crop refers to a particularly good harvest yielded for a particular crop. Example: "With all the rain we've had over the last few months, we are expecting a bumper crop this year. of carrots, tomatoes, peas, beans and beetroots. The reason: A simple, inexpensive water and fertiliser drip irrigation system that constantly nurtures plants and seedlings. Originally installed as an experiment by the Israeli embassy as an effort to find a workable solution to the food crisis in one of the poorest regions in South Africa, the system comprises an elevated tank and a network of tubing perforated with tiny holes. The device drips a mixture of water and fertiliser directly onto individual plants in such a way that they are neither undernourished nor overfed o·ver·feed tr. & intr.v. o·ver·fed , o·ver·feed·ing, o·ver·feeds To feed or eat too often or too much. Adj. 1. overfed - too well nourished nourished - being provided with adequate nourishment . The soil and climatic conditions of the region are similar to those in Israel where the system was developed. At a cost of just R750 ($117) the time saving automatic irrigator irrigator, n dental tool used to force liquid through a given area for irrigation; features a soft tube that draws liquid from a contained source. See also irrigation. allows bigger areas to be cultivated, converting the area's smallholdings from subsistence farms to cash crops. Overseeing the project is Israeli-trained Sipho Puwani, an agricultural extension officer from the Cape Town-based social development agency, Ikamva Lebantu. Locally based to help farmers install, operate and maintain the equipment, Puwani says "there's a huge difference in production between those who have the system and those who don't." But it's just a matter of time before every farmer on the communal land has an irrigator of his or her own. |
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