> pumping during the day into a storage tank, and irrigating at night
Or, irrigate during the day but use sub-surface drip irrigation. [1]
Or, irrigate during the day but use sub-surface drip irrigation. [1]
Drip systems tend to require a) a lot of pressure, and b) a very consistent pressure, to get reliable output. These are also expensive to buy & run.
Drip or leaky-hose type underground systems are difficult to maintain (I've tried!) just because you can't see them. The way you find out something's wrong is usually because a plant or an area is looking very very happy, and other plants / areas are dying off.
Under-mulch is good, but doesn't lend itself to broadscale cropping as described in TFA.
Long-term, it’s the cheapest option if you want to farm in an arid region.
We’re not disagreeing. Those farming regions are not viable long term unless the economics change dramatically.
That’s the vast majority of current farm acreage in the world.