Deep Pipe Irrigation Method I Ashok kumar, Rampura Kolar

Sri. Ashok Kumar is a progressive farmer from Raampura, Kolar.

A lecturer-turned-farmer Ashok Kumar, converting his dry land into a productive one is the day-to-day job. He utilises rain water, water harvesting methodologies and innovates everytime... Plastic water bottles are a vital link in his irrigation system. With this system, he gets excellent yield in a place with scanty rainfall.

The 47-year old uses just half a litre of water for each plant every week at his 80 acre farm in Rampura village, Kolar district.
He grows mango, sapota, tamarind and ragi and many other produces...

Ashok Kumar says, “In our area, it is hard to find water even at 1,700 feet below the ground. But I don’t water from any bore well. My water sources are ponda I’ve constructed at my farm. The pond not only collects rainwater but also has an underground pit that is used as a fishery and to harvest rainwater. I regularly collect 1 litre and 0.5 litre water bottles, which are considered trash, and saw away the base of the bottles. These bottles are inserted into the soil near the root zone of plants up to two years old. Twice a week water is poured into the bottle but 500 ml of water is used in all. This helps in fixing nitrogen in the soil. The vegetative portion of pulse crops prevent evaporation of soil moisture and also facilitate better utilization of water. This ensures healthy crop growth.”

This system requires very little investment and is suitable for growing horticulture crops, especially the newly planted fruit crops, in dry land. By adopting this bottle technology, he saves water, time, labour and money.
Here, we introduce Sri. Ashok Kumar to the farming community and enthusiastic individuals who wish to get into agriculture in dry lands...