The buried clay pot or pitcher method of irrigation is one of the most efficient systems known and is ideal for gardeners and small farmers. Buried clay pot irrigation uses a buried, unglazed clay pot filled with water to provide controlled irrigation to plants as the water seeps out through the clay wall at a rate that is influenced by the plant’s water use. It has been used for thousands of years. This auto-regulation leads to very high efficiency–considerably better than drip irrigation and many times better than conventional surface irrigation. Buried clay pot irrigation is also valuable for gardening, landscaping, and growing plants in containers. Buried clay pot irrigation has been successfully used for a wide range of annual and perennial plants including: melons, tomatoes, corn, and many other annual crops in China, Pakistan, India, Mexico, and Brazil; pistachio trees in Iran, mesquite, acacia, and eucalyptus in Pakistan, fruit trees in Mexico, India,and Brazil, and palo verde in the California desert.
COST is supported by the EU Framework Programme Horizon 2020
Desert Restoration Hub 