The Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Science has introduced a new water-saving irrigation method for coffee cultivation, piloted in Đắk Lắk Province.
Protecting Limited Groundwater
Table of Contents
Natural groundwater is not limitless. If used improperly or wastefully, the water table in the Central Highlands can drop sharply, causing severe shortages during the dry season. At the same time, conventional irrigation often leads to high evaporation losses. Farmers typically assume “the more water the better,” which wastes resources.
From Conventional to Efficient Irrigation
Traditionally, farmers irrigate coffee by hose or rotating sprinklers, applying around 600 liters per tree per watering, usually two to three times per season. A large share of this water evaporates, and labor costs are high—about 50 million VND per hectare per season.
The new water-saving system, first studied in 2010 and officially deployed in 2013, offers key advantages.
“Our system reduces installation costs to roughly 20 million VND per hectare and is simple to set up and operate,” explains Dr. Trần Vinh, Deputy Director of the Institute. “Each tree needs only 400–450 liters of water per irrigation—20–30% less than conventional methods—without affecting yield or coffee quality.”
Labor and Fertilizer Efficiency
With the new system, only one person is needed to start the pump and monitor the process, compared with two or three workers for traditional watering. The design also allows fertigation: fertilizers are dissolved in a tank and delivered through the irrigation lines, speeding application while ensuring nutrients reach the coffee plants effectively.
Simple Materials and Growing Adoption
Installation requires only readily available materials: PVC pipes with valves, a water tank (for mixing fertilizer), and a water pump motor. Farmers can easily set up the system themselves with basic guidance.
A 3-hectare pilot plot at the Institute showed that coffee plants irrigated this way flowered normally and remained healthy and vigorous. To date, 10 households in Đắk Lắk have adopted the model on more than 20 hectares, and the Institute plans to expand it across other Central Highlands provinces.
According to Mr. Bùi Đăng Khoa, Deputy Head of Business and Technology Transfer: “When farmers request installation, we survey their land, set up a sample system, and guide them so they can install it on their own farms.”
This water-saving irrigation model promises both resource conservation and cost reduction, helping coffee growers sustain yields while protecting the region’s precious groundwater.