A subsurface water retention system to collect rainwater for increasing food production and combat desertification

The present study aims to develop and test a machinery capable to lay an impermeable membrane at 80-100 cm belowground to catch rainwater in arid and semi-arid areas. Work performance, costs and beneficial effect on soil moisture will be evaluated as well as further improvements of the prototype. In this context, the effect of SWRT on tomato yield, growth, physiology, and biochemical characteristics, as well as soil characteristics under two regimes of water (100% field capacity (FC) and 50% FC) in open field conditions, were investigated in a parallel experiment. Water harvesting is a long-last debate that has captured the attention in many sectors. Water tanks and reservoirs are currently being used where possible, but the problem to deliver the water from the tank to the plants still remains. This innovative approach would combine the need to harvest rainwater and avoid additional water delivery system to water the plants. Furthermore, the SWRT can be applied to open fields and help to reduce desertification in arid and semi-arid areas of the world.