Argentina: In Traslasierra, they are incorporating subsurface drip irrigation in potato farming

In the Traslasierra region of Córdoba province, potato cultivation faces increasing water scarcity. The combination of reduced rainfall, high crop water requirements, and limited efficiency of traditional irrigation methods prompted INTA Villa Dolores to investigate new alternatives. One of these is subsurface drip irrigation, which has already begun testing in local farmers’ fields.

“Irrigation is a key factor in our region,” stated  Silvana Walter , head of the INTA Villa Dolores Rural Extension Agency. Faced with this limitation, some producers in the region, who operate their farms within a 40-kilometer radius of Villa Dolores, in towns like Los Cerillos and San José, began installing irrigation systems using this technology. These experiences allowed them to evaluate, together with INTA professionals, the costs of implementing the system, management practices, and alternatives for improving efficiency, among other aspects.

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In the Traslasierra region, two production cycles take place each year: the late cycle, which is sown in February and harvested in winter, and the semi-early cycle, which begins between July and August, with harvesting in November and December. Water demand varies depending on the time of year, but ranges between 500 and 800 millimeters during cycles that last approximately 100 days.

Walter explained that, to meet this water demand, two irrigation systems are currently used: gravity irrigation, using water from the La Viña dam via furrow irrigation, or pivot irrigation using groundwater. However, in recent growing seasons, the lack of rainfall has reduced the availability of this resource. Beyond the issue of rainfall, the low efficiency of traditional systems is also a cause for concern. According to measurements by INTA (National Institute of Agricultural Technology), the Río de los Sauces Irrigation Users Consortium, and the Mobile Irrigation Laboratory School of the Provincial Agricultural Services Program (PROSAP), furrow irrigation achieves only 40% water use efficiency.

This combination of factors motivated the search for technologies adapted to local conditions, capable of improving efficiency and operating on plots where installing a center pivot system is not feasible. “If you compare one hectare irrigated by drip irrigation with one irrigated by furrows, with the same amount of water you could irrigate three times more,” the extension agent stated, adding that a water productivity calculation was also carried out.

Two local experiences

In recent seasons, INTA Villa Dolores supported two projects on productive plots. The first took place between August and December 2024. The second, between February and June of this year. In both cases, local producers installed subsurface drip irrigation systems with technical support from the local INTA team.

“The system is much simpler to operate than furrow irrigation, which is done manually and can take more than 24 hours, even at night. Furthermore, the new system eliminates costs such as cleaning irrigation ditches,” Walter emphasized.

Another aspect evaluated was the behavior of water at depth. Unlike areas where this technology is already installed, such as central Córdoba, in Traslasierra it was necessary to confirm whether the water rises by capillary action from the buried drippers to the potato root system. According to Walter, evaluations were carried out that allowed them to verify this adaptation to the local cultivation system.

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Besides its water requirements, potatoes differ from other extensive crops due to their specific agronomic characteristics. “They aren’t grown by direct seeding; they require prior soil preparation, in addition to planting the seed tuber at a depth of about 15 to 18 centimeters,” Walter explained. Harvesting is also mechanical and is done with a tool called a “piludo” or “starter,” which inverts the root ball to facilitate harvesting.

Therefore, a key question was whether the buried drip irrigation system could interfere with the machinery or be damaged during fieldwork. Initial tests indicate no problems. “In this latest trial, the irrigation lines were placed between 35 and 40 centimeters deep, and the tubers develop above them, so we assume the lines won’t be affected,” Walter assured.

Long-term benefits and investments

In addition to increasing water use efficiency, the system allows for the integration of fertilization with irrigation, opening a new door to precision management. “Fertigation is much more efficient than applying fertilizer to the soil, and it allows for the application of the exact amount the crop requires,” Walter noted.

Another benefit is the ability to adjust irrigation to the crop’s needs. In the traditional system, producers must coordinate with the water consortium to receive water, which often results in delays or applications exceeding what is necessary. In contrast, with the subsurface drip irrigation system, it is possible to regulate the frequency and amount of water applied according to the crop’s needs and weather conditions.

Beyond these benefits, implementing the system requires a significant initial investment. “On the plot where we work, a dam was lined with a geomembrane, and the entire pumping, filtration, and distribution system was installed,” Walter explained.

Furthermore, he emphasized that this technology has an estimated lifespan of 12 to 15 years. Therefore, INTA indicated that it should be considered a long-term investment, especially in contexts of water scarcity.

Better results

César Díaz Nicotra, an engineer with Argeswater SRL, is advising producer Antonio Martínez on the implementation of buried drip irrigation for potato cultivation. With technical support from INTA (National Institute of Agricultural Technology), he monitored the first pilot project carried out at the La Primavera ranch in San José, where 500 hectares of potatoes are planted using advanced technology.

There, drip irrigation covers 50 hectares, geared towards the production of high-quality forage to feed a 2,000-head feedlot. For potato cultivation, the company experimented with a buried drip irrigation system on six hectares. “Having achieved excellent results, it was decided to install another system with the same technology, dedicated solely to this crop,” Díaz Nicotra stated.

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In the current season, they project a yield of around 33 tons per hectare. “This represents a 20 to 30% yield difference compared to plots without this technology,” stated Díaz Nicotra. “It should be noted that the previous season’s crop suffered a frost on day 82 of its life cycle, which limited its production,” he added.

“Subsurface drip irrigation also allowed us to optimize fertilization throughout the entire cycle and increase the crop’s yield potential,” explained Díaz Nicotra. For this reason, the company decided to expand the irrigation system to 25 hectares at Los Cerrillos, another of its farms.

The support of INTA is fundamental. “The interaction between our company, the producers, and the professionals at the institution allows us to adjust the technology using data from local trials: designing the equipment, measuring water and soil nutrients, and planning fertilization according to environmental demand,” he concluded.