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Plan has been helping families in Nicaragua grow vegetables throughout the seasons, by developing a drip irrigation system as part of its food security project.
The food security project implemented in different parts of Nicaragua, contributes to the improvement of food supply and quality by means of family vegetable gardens. Nutritious and health-giving vegetables are grown, such as tomatoes, chiltoma peppers, beans, ayote and aubergines.
The biggest problem facing these families is the shortage of water during the dry season (December to April), and even during the rainy season (May to December), when rainfall can be unreliable.
The drip irrigation system allows families to water their gardens during the dry season, and can also function as a supplementary water supply during the rainy season if a temporary drought threatens the harvest. Enough water can be provided for an area of 450 sq metres.
Consisting of two barrels (holding 54 gallons each) and a drainage pipe with a filter in it, the system’s water drips onto the plants from hosepipes connected to this pipe. The water comes from wells and is extracted by families participating in the water and sanitation projects, using rope pumps.
The vegetable gardens are fertilised with organic matter, using methods such as bocachi, compost, biofertilizer, fruit vinegar and wood vinegar. Neem and pepper are among the products used as insecticides, following the principles of sustainable agriculture, paying attention to using available resources that don’t damage the environment.
Don Jesus Espinoza's vegetable garden in the province of Chinandega, produced 100 pounds of beans, 160 crates of chiltoma, 144 pipians, 400 cucumbers, 2,000 aubergines and 592 boxes of vara bean, he says;
