Exploring potentials and constraints of low-cost drip irrigation with saline water in sub-Saharan Africa

Irrigation with saline water could provide an interesting opportunity to meet increasing food demands without competing with other pressing needs for fresh water such as domestic and industrial water use in water scarce regions. In sub-Saharan Africa, saline groundwater could be a plentiful and under-utilised resource; however, there is a lack of data to confirm this assumption. Saline water is deliberately and successfully used for irrigation of field and garden crops in several countries. The water saving characteristics and the distribution patterns of water in the soil under drip irrigation make this water application technique suitable for use in combination with saline water. Low-cost drip irrigation has already been successfully implemented in sub-Saharan Africa. It is suggested that low-cost drip irrigation with saline groundwater for the cultivation of horticultural crops can be a feasible option under conditions of water shortage, and has the potential to contribute to improved and sustainable crop production for smallholder farmers. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.