Dear Julius,

While I was with Eawag/Sandec I did a trial once specifically looking at blockages in "drippers" while using urine fertigation. I posted the link to the report once on the forum and I think it is also in susana library.

My main finding was that with the simple drip-kits and drip-line used in Nepal there was no significant blocking problem at a 1:3 mixing ratio. If more hi-tech drip-lines are used the story may be different.

The full report can also be found under:

www.eawag.ch/forschung/sandec/gruppen/EW..._Drip_Irrigation.pdf

Link in SuSanA library: www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/1732

regards

Marijn

1. What quantity of urine per m² per month your fertigation represents?
Answer: 60litres
2. How many m² per human daily urine production would you recommend?
Answer: At least 2litres at the end of the day.

Dear Ashabrn,

Thanks for sharing this report.

I read it with great attention as I worked on the subject a couple of years ago on a concept of shower-latrine which was using drip irrigation. (vidéo : and tech.handbook : www.susana.org/lang-en/library?view=ccbktypeitem&type=2&id=1409)

Unfortunatly at the time, for Budget and personal reasons we didn’t manage to realise the battery of tests necessary to proper confirm its eficiency in the field.

Just to compare it with a pragmatic application of your test, what quantity of urine per m² per month your fertigation represents, or simpler how many m² per human daily urine production would you recommend.

Ben

Dear Mughal,

Of course mixing urine you would expect the smell but not on plants.
If you carefully read the report, we carried out safety analysis that remove fears of pathogen existence.

Any odour or smell problem, or objections by other farmers? Does the analysis of cabbage showed its safe use for human consumption?

F H Mughal

Fortunately, the drippers never blocked because urine was diluted at a ratio of 1:5 (Urine to water). The system worked perfectly well through out the experimental period.

We have actually had a second study using Sukuma wiki but still that problem was not experienced.

Thanks for posting this and welcome to our friends from ATC!
(Why not introduce ATC shortly here so that others learn more about the great practical research you are doing at the Appropriate Technology Centre?)

One question though: during your trials did you have ever any problems with blocking "drippers" due to urine precipitation or other solids in the irrigation solution?

The Appropriate Technology Centre for water and sanitation (ATC) is the research arm for the Ministry of Water and Environment, Uganda. The centre is mandated to undertake action research on Water and Sanitation (WATSAN) technologies, carry out capacity building of sector actors and popularise appropriate technologies; To this effect, the centre is carrying out a number of studies, drip irrigation and fertigation using urine being one of them.

The drip irrigation study posted in her investigated the use of bucket kit drip irrigation and fertigation using urine to boost vegetable growing. The study and treatment plots where intervention was done and control plot which were used for comparisons purposes.The results of this study give a green light to the technology of drip irrigation and fertigation as a suitable affordable technology to boost food production in Uganda.