Technology of Water Supply Innovation for Livestock Needs

Jumat, 19 Juli 2019

Technology of Water Supply Innovation for Livestock Needs

In the livestock cultivation sector, both for the type of dairy cattle, beef cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and poultry, is one of the agricultural sub-sectors in Indonesia which occupies a strategic position as a provider of community animal protein in addition to fisheries. This strategic position requires serious attention from the government and various livestock stakeholders so that various barriers to livestock production processes can be overcome. One common problem is related to water supply in the long dry season. The author also thinks that the solution that can be maximized is by utilizing simple water harvesting innovation technology.

The amount of annual rainfall in western Indonesia (≥ 1500 mm) turns out that not all of them are able to be absorbed by the soil surface, resulting in run-off that brings sediment from top soil soil particles. This results in flooding and other problems that arise from it. To overcome this situation, the right alternative is to use rain water harvesting technology, which is an effort to collect water to be stored in a storage and used when needed. Harvested water can be sourced from rainwater or surface runoff water that flows above the ground during rain. Storage systems in water harvesting can be carried out openly in the form of ponds, or closed in the form of water tanks and groundwater storage.

Harvesting runoff from farm buildings

In a farm area there are several buildings, including offices, hatcheries, then warehouses and cattle sheds. To predict the potential volume of water that can be harvested from building roof runoff, it is necessary to calculate it based on the following formula or equation (Nurpilihan 2018, quoted from Lancaster 2009).

V = A x C x P x Ka

1000

V = potential rainwater harvested (m3)

A = the area of the roof as a catch of rainwater (m2)

C = surface runoff coefficient

P = rain depth (mm)

Ka = roof coefficient

By knowing V (potential for harvested rainwater), the farm manager can plan the shape and volume of the reservoir to be made (ponds and tanks). The local rain depth (P) can be measured by installing a Rain Gauge Ombrometer on the farm page.

Example calculation:

In one farm area there is 1 livestock cage with a roof area of 150 m 2 (A) and the depth of rain (P or annual rainfall value) 1898 mm / year. The roof is made of plastic which has a surface runoff coefficient (C) of 0.85 and a roof coefficient (Ka) of 0.50.

Then the potential of rainwater can be harvested as follows:

V = 150 m2 x 0.85 x 1898 mm x 0.5 = 121 m3

1000

Note: The value of the surface runoff coefficient (C) ranges from 0.70 - 0.90 depending on the type of roofing material, while the Roof Coefficient Value (Ka) is determined by the slope of the roof.

So the water reservoir must be made with a volume of 121 m3.

This article is a summary of the full article that was published in the January 2019 issue of Poultry Indonesia magazine with the title "Technology for Water Supply Innovation for Livestock Needs". To subscribe or for further information please send an email to: circulation@poultryindonesia.com or call 021-62318153