dates are considered premium, long term crops in israel. replanting occurs every 35 years and crops appear after five. full production commences after eight years. however, date palm cultivation requires little labour and is often referred to as high tech agriculture as growers rely upon sub contractors rather than a large, permanent workforce. the grower need only visit the orchard twice a year to inspect the irrigation system, for annual pruning and sundry tasks. a turbo drip irrigation system makes this even easier, since it has been developed and improved over many years together with date growers.
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turbo drip is safe, economical and provides peace of mind.
turbo drip further saves labour because it renders gruelling drip system emitter inspections superfluous since the water spray is clearly visible. maintenance is fast, simple and cheap. malfunctions, often caused by the ubiquitous saline water in israel, are repairable on site because the system is easily dismantled and reassembled for backflow flushing. the system’s thick plastic is durable and high quality filters minimise malfunctions, thus providing long term savings.
naandanjain chief agronomist maoz aviv says ‘a farmer adopting this agricultural technology knows he is providing his young orchard with all its development requirements. the durable system thrives under tough conditions. also, it concentrates the irrigation around the tree, which sucks the water in from the base of its trunk: the water does not puddle on the ground, weeds do not grow and animals are not attracted.’
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additional turbo drip benefits irrigation and fertilisation methods affect growth. large, concentrated water dosages to the trunk area encourage and enhance offshoots. therefore a system of additional pipes was developed connecting direct to the sprouting offshoot. thus the tree is irrigated and the offshoot is wetted – a double, cost-free benefit.
the system is suitable for tall trees such as rubber trees, coconut and elaeis. in israel it is only used for date palms. turbo drip is often fitted to young trees to be replaced later by micro drip. thus during the first eight vital years the tree develops a robust root system and a large girth which conveys a greater quantity of water and nutrients, thus producing a strong, healthy tree capable of bearing an abundant date crop.
in conclusion, the many years of experience with this system in israel’s date palm orchards prove that the naandanjain turbo drip system is a winner.
