By Daniel Frankel, Hasbara Fellowships High School Intern
There are many astounding Israeli inventions that have helped contribute to the successful country Israel is today. While these inventions have greatly affected Israel, they have also made large impacts throughout the world. Simcha Blass is known as the creator of modern drip irrigation, an invention that has changed the world of agriculture. Simcha found a tree that was growing without a trace of water, but later found out that there was a small leaking pipe feeding it small amounts of water. These findings are what led him to develop drip irrigation. After years of experimenting, Simcha and his son, Yeshayahu, developed the first experimental system of modern drip irrigation in 1959 and created Netafim, the first drip irrigation company, in 1965.
Drip irrigation is the most efficient technological advancement used to grow crops. The system delivers the correct amount of water and nutrients directly to the roots of the plant at the right time so that the plant receives exactly what it requires for maximum growth. Any crop can be grown using drip irrigation, the amount of water just needs to be altered for the circumstances. The process is water and energy efficient and will greatly increase the crop yield.
Drip irrigation works by delivering water and nutrients through pipes called “dripperlines” with smaller units called “drippers.” Each dripper will drip water and fertilizer directly to the plant’s roots, giving the plant just the perfect number of nutrients required. This process is done all across the field to every plant until every plant is given the optimal number of nutrients required and are not given too much or too little.
There are many benefits that come along with drip irrigation, some being the larger crop yields or the minimal dependence on weather. Additionally, no water is wasted through evaporations or run off and the fertilizer put in the water is done efficiently so that it does not affect the groundwater and rivers through leaching. Drip irrigation also works on any type of soil and does not require high pressure to work, making it easy to use anywhere. The invention also reduces the impact of drought and climate change on food production. In terms of efficiency, drip irrigation has an efficiency of 95-100% when it comes to water use, which is phenomenal when compared to other methods (such as sprinkling) which reach 85% efficiency at best.
Innovation Africa is a non-profit Israeli organisation that brings Israeli water, solar, and agricultural technologies to villages across Africa. The organisation uses drip irrigation to help increase the yield of crops in the village. With the extra produce, there is more to eat and more can be sold. Innovation Africa has helped 3 million people over 500 projects in 10 countries and continues to work their hardest to use one of Israel’s most famous inventions to change the world.
