Army advisor helps Maysan crops grow one drip at a time

By Pvt. DeAngelo Wells, 3/4 AAB Public AffairsNovember 9, 2010

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1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – First Lt. Adam Ellerbrock, 2nd Lt. Michael Bailey, and Laythe Salem, economic and agricultural advisor, 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, answer farmers' questions in Maysan Province, Iraq. The session was part of an agriculture s... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

MAYSAN PROVINCE, Iraq -- The Maysan Provincial Reconstruction Team, with the help of Laythe Salem, economic and agricultural advisor, 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, held an agricultural seminar for 20 local farmers.

The seminar covered irrigation techniques farmers could use to grow their produce more efficiently and the ways it could benefit them during harvest.

Drip irrigation is a system that employs water pipes and thin tubes with small holes to allow a calculated amount of water to be distributed at precise locations throughout the farm, reducing the amount of water needed.

With dry soil and very little rainfall in southern Iraq, drip irrigation systems can be effective in managing farms and producing good harvests.

"Our assistance will help farmers conduct efficient greenhouse and drip irrigation for improved vegetable production (and) producing products in the winter season," Laythe said. "Farmers will learn from communicating and exchanging information with each other. Thus, the farmers improve incomes, rural livelihoods and food security."

The drip irrigation system gives farmers a distinct advantage over their current methods of irrigation. In a nearby city, the PRT and farmers created a greenhouse with drip irrigation and are now successfully growing dates and palm trees.

Related Links:

Army.mil: Advise and Assist Brigade news article

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