
Installation of an irrigation system in the “Manantial de Vida” agro-ecological association

The agro-ecological association Manantial de Vida (meaning Spring of Life), from Potosí Municipality, works on the restoration and propagation of native plant material. Its initiatives have been supported by the Impulso Verde Foundation and other national organizations. In addition, the Manantial de Vida association is part of the Impulse Verde nursery network.
Since December 2018, Manantial de Vida has been working on a project to adapt and expand the nursery where the plant material is reproduced. This project is being carried out thanks to the support of the Ministry of Science and Technology COLCIENCIAS of Colombia.
Luisa Delgado, agricultural engineer at Impulso Verde, provided technical support in the project with the design and installation of the irrigation system for the nursery seedlings. To design the irrigation system, she visited the nursery to size the characteristics of the place.
She made the design taking into account:
- The source of recruitment
- The number of beds* in the nursery
- The dimensions of each of the beds
- Water demand
- The pressure required by the system
The irrigation system selected for the nursery was mist irrigation, because this type of system can encompass the irrigation area that is needed and does not generate a negative impact on the leaves and soil of the seedlings, having a very small droplet size.
Irrigation system components:
- Catchment tank: 1000 liters
- Main pipe: Hose 1″ 100m
- Secondary pipe: Hose 0.5″ 20m
- Tertiary pipe: Microtube 4mm, 30m
- Centrifugal pump: 0.5 Hp
- Nebulizers: 360-degree Jet Monkey, 26 units.
*Suitable space for tree seedlings.