Pingshun, in Shanxi province (China) is the home of the ‘Pricky Ash,’ a thorny scrub grown for its peppers, used in the famously hot Sichuan dishes.
Production got a major boost in 2006, when the local government introduced the use of mesh tents. In 2012, the use of suspended micro-sprinklers was introduced in the mesh-tents. This has helped considerably in controlling the problem of aphids (lice), reducing the need for pesticide use and improving the quality of the harvest.
This example highlights that besides saving water, pressurized irrigation systems- such as drip and sprinklers- go a long way towards increasing yield and improving quality. In fact, the latter might be the more important of their functions.
(This initiative is a pilot was supported under ADB-Grant 0188-PRC Climate Change Adaptation through Groundwater Management and is implemented through the Shanxi Integrated Agricultural Development Office.)
More info: TheWaterBlog/Controlled Micro-Irrigation
Produced by: Frank van Steenbergen
Year: 2012
Language: Various (English subtitles)