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Dealing with
drought
Early warnings, carefu
in water use during dry years. to help later in the year.
JUDIE STEEVES
scheduling of irrigat
l
s
senior engineer in sustainable
However, Ted Van der Gulik,
September, when spawning fish
Rather than irrigating heavily in
agriculture management for the
f
een as key strateg
ion
agriculture ministry, told
need the water in streams, farmers
participants a fruit tree needs more
should irrigate later in the season to
d
o
r
r
y


g
y
r
e
o
a
w
rs
e
.
rs to cope
i

e
w
s
ith than 50 per cent of the normal
improve over-wintering and to fill
amount of water before production
up ground reservoirs.
will be impacted. management planning include
He noted that it’s vital that water
normal, there might not be a
With less than 50 per cent of allowing for water where the land is
fallow, because water must still be
By Judie Steeves
P
problem the first year, but there available for when that land is
oliticians and water purveyors
won’t be a good crop the next year. needed for food production.
attending a day-long workshop can’t survive and there won’t be a
At 25 per cent and less the tree
important to use Certified Irrigation
When installing irrigation, it’s
summer heard about the importance
on drought planning this crop. Designers, even though it’s not yet
of maintaining a “survival” level of
required by local government or
water for perennial plants such as
from 20 inches a year in the north of
Amounts of water required vary
water purveyors, he advised. That’s a
fruit trees and grapevines.
the valley, to 25 in the central and
36 in the south.
drought strategy that he believes
could be put to use now.
largest user of water in the
Since agriculture is the single
Okanagan basin, some look to
water will be in short supply farmers
In years when predictions are that
should irrigate early to fill up the
right amount of water goes where
Irrigation scheduling, ensuring the
and when it’s needed, is another
8
agriculture for significant reductions soil with moisture which it will hold important tool farmers should be
British Columbia FRUIT GROWER • Fall 2009
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