How to save up to 80% of water in mango cultivation with DeepDrop®System

When he has gone to see other mango farms he has observed obvious differences when they were not using DeepDrop® compared to his farm:

• Moisture problems: either the soil looked too dry or too wet, even waterlogged.
• Ignacio has had no problems with weed growth, while on other farms he has seen the work involved in both removing and managing weeds.
• On these farms they also have no real control over the water the tree receives whereas with DeepDrop® it is easy to do so because all the water goes directly to the root system.

Thanks to simple sensors, Ignacio was able to verify that both the PH and the humidity of the soil with DeepDrop® were in perfect conditions for the growth of his mangoes.

Aitor Perez’s farm

Aitor Perez, originally from Bilbao but who has been living in the Axarquia for more than twenty years, started working on his own farm in Benamargosa (Malaga) ten years ago. In it he has 1.25 hectares, with a slate soil in which he has as main crop 920 mangoes and also 350 prickly pears, 200 vines and 40 fruit trees of different species. The varieties of mango grown are Kent and Tommy Atkins.

Before, I used to use a surface drip irrigation system with 2 self-compensating drippers of 8 liters/hour, which I watered 1 hour every 3 days if it was not too hot (above 32 degrees Celsius).

He now waters, as long as the spring has been rainy and the soil is well moistened during the summer, with a dripper per tree of 8 liters/h, 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening with the same frequency, that is to say every 3 days, every two days during periods of high temperatures. Thus, Aitor has gone from watering 32 liters per week to 4.8 liters per week. In other words, he has saved 83% of his weekly water consumption.

However, if the spring had been drier, then irrigation is increased to 15 min in the morning, and 15 min in the evening, saving 75% over the previous irrigation.

With this, Aitor obtains good harvests and makes the farm profitable and productive since he consumes less water and can save the water he used to use, as well as the rainwater for the summer months when water is scarce. This water is stored in a small water tank with a capacity of 32,000 liters and a 450,000 liter reservoir.

Aitor also points out that the system, by reducing irrigation times, as he pumps water from a well, has also allowed him to save energy.

Aitor learned about the DeepDrop® irrigation system when he was looking for water saving alternatives for his farm and on the internet he found “DeepDrop®”.The Interview with Mr. Rico, inventor of the DeepDrop® subway irrigation system “and from there he went to his Youtube channel. When he noticed how it worked and saw that it was also near his farm, he didn’t think twice and went to buy a few devices.

What caught Aitor’s attention? DeepDrop® has a self-compensating dripper inside a capsule with a hose that brings water from a hose, so there is no loss due to evaporation. In addition, by means of the capsule and the dripper you can also mechanically control the amount of water you use and, in turn, check that the water effectively reaches the roots.

In turn, the capsule indicates the level of humidity that it has underground and this is done by the same tube through which the water passes to the root system. As the moisture evaporates from below ground through this hole, it condenses the droplets in the capsule until it falls again in the form of a drop through the same channel, that is, through the tube that carries the water to the root system.

Eduardo de Chilches Farm (Malaga)

Eduardo has a farm with approximately 442 Osteen and Kent mangoes. When he discovered DeepDrop® he decided to introduce it by sectors.

Last year he installed DeepDrop® on 226 trees between June and July 2024 and, in view of the results, he told us that this year he plans to complete the installation of the DeepDrop® system on the rest of his farm, on 216 more trees.

And what are these results? Thanks to the incorporation of the new subway and localized irrigation system, it has achieved 67.3% water savings compared to surface drip irrigation.

He installed the new system based on the irrigation plan provided by DeepDrop® headquarters. With the water he saved, he was able to save the trees that do not yet have these devices.

Let’s see how these savings have been achieved:

In addition, by saving water and getting it directly to the roots, he has also saved on fertilizer consumption. And this is also noticeable in plant health, with new shoots, so DeepDrop® not only reduces water-related operating costs, but also contributes to the sustainability of the mango crop.

Francisco, manager of the organic production farm Raíces Tropicales

The organic production farm of Raíces Tropicales, managed by Francisco, is located in Vélez Málaga. It has the CAAE certification, official certification of organic products. The mangoes are in an extension of 2 hectares in a loam soil. The mangoes are of the Osteen, Kent and Keitt varieties.

Since the area has been suffering the ravages of drought for years, they looked for water-saving systems and learned about DeepDrop® through an article in a newspaper and because an acquaintance told them about this localized subway irrigation system. About two years ago, they installed two 4 liter/hour drippers per tree. Since they have incorporated it, he normally waters every 45 – 50 minutes every 3 or 4 days, but in high temperature seasons he waters 40 minutes every two days. This change of irrigation system has meant a saving of 80% of water compared to what he used to irrigate before.

When asked how he keeps his soils healthy on his organic farm, he tells us that he does so by applying organic agricultural soap and mycorrhizae, as well as exfoliating algae. In addition, he keeps the mulch of fallen leaves from his own trees and weeds in his field to maintain the moisture of his soils. It is important to note that this farm is located in an area exposed to very high temperatures in summer. The consequence of all this and the use of DeepDrop® is a production of mangoes with an optimum sugar level that is very tasty and highly appreciated by its customers.

Conclusions

Five experiences of mango farms have been presented, either in greenhouses or in the open air. The management of an organic production farm has also been included. The benefits that DeepDrop® brings not only to the mangoes but also to the humidity that it generates in the soil and that allows irrigation with up to 83% less water compared to previous irrigations were also presented.

The Canary Islands and Andalusia are the regions where the commercial cultivation of mangoes has been implemented due to their climatic conditions. But now the challenge is to improve irrigation efficiency by drastically reducing water consumption if we want to maintain this type of agriculture where water resources have been scarce for a long time. These experiences show that there is a simple way to do this that not only does not require large infrastructures, but can also take advantage of those already in use for self-compensating surface drippers. It is also worth remembering that in the event that a part of the DeepDrop® irrigation system breaks down, it is not necessary to replace the whole system, but simply order a replacement of the specific part. DeepDrop® complies with the characteristics of eco-design and is typical of the circular bioeconomy.

Finally, it should be noted that the tendency of many consumers to demand organic products is also considered for mango cultivation. In this sense, it should be remembered that the Institute of Subtropical and Mediterranean Horticulture “La Mayora”, with which DeepDrop® is collaborating, is carrying out a study on this subject.