The Israeli model of drip irrigation technology in combination with water fertilization for coffee trees in Dak Lak

Seeing the coffee flower garden blossoming in white, Mr. Tran Van My, who put his enthusiasm into taking care of one hectare of coffee according to the instruction process to achieve the expected result, is overflowing with joy hard to describe. This is the model “drip irrigation technology combined with water fertilization” for coffee trees that Dak Lak Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in coordination with the People’s Committee of Buon Ma Thuot city has deployed since 2013 to present at the coffee sample field Village 3, Hoa Thuan Commune, Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province. This model, for the first time, officially controls the application of drip irrigation to stimulate flowering under the supervision of managers and technical experts. The bloom results of this coffee garden will open up a viewpoint of Israel’s drip irrigation technology for coffee production development in Dak Lak in particular and Vietnam in general.

With this technology, water before leading to the coffee plant has been “passed” through a “central system” with the main components including electric pumps, water flow meters, pressure gauges, filters. discs, fertilizer filling systems, exhaust valves and complete central control mounting accessories. Water flow meter is used to accurately monitor the amount of irrigation water, check the flow of the pump; water pressure gauges are responsible for checking the operation of the pump, the cleanliness of the filter core and water leakage in the pipeline; the filter disc is responsible for removing residue, creating a stable water flow, relatively quality water before supplying to coffee; Air release valve for the purpose of releasing air pockets that form during irrigation generated by pump operation, terrain slope or irrigating water pipes having a uniform slope but too long ( 500m). The release of these airbags helps the system after starting to achieve pressure uniformity in the shortest time, preventing pressure differences caused by vacuum created in the pipeline affecting speed. movement of water currents. The magnifier is the main feeding device and tube, delivering nutrition directly to the root zone of the plant through a drip tape. The system of main and branch pipes, when installed, is buried 30cm to 50cm deep. Using a drip wire with a thickness of 0.38mm, operating pressure from 0.4 bar to 1.8 bar, which means fluctuating in the height from 4m to 18m, the flow of each drip tip is still the same (1.6 liters of water /hours). The drip piping system is arranged parallel to the two sides of the coffee root, about 70 cm from the root, buried about 5-7 cm from the ground; Thus, each coffee stump carries 12 dripping points (50 cm / 1 point apart). The advantage of the drip irrigation technology is to bring water and nutrients directly to the active root zone of the coffee plant, through the self-compensating water-pressure drip tip embedded in the PE pipe by the factory. For water and nutrition to be provided adequately and evenly to all coffee trees in the garden, helping to manage irrigation water and nutrition for coffee trees in the most effective way, especially for proper water regulation. physiology of coffee flowering (is the basis of determining productivity, quality and sustainability of coffee gardens). This irrigation method is adapted to different conditions, so it can be widely used, especially for coffee trees in Dak Lak, a less flat land, a dry season lasts up to 6 months, always scarce water. .