Moistube irrigation technology development, adoption and future prospects: A systematic scoping review
T L Dirwai1,2, T Mabhaudhi3, E K Kanda4
1School of Engineering, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P. Bag X01, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa.
Heliyon
|February 22, 2021
Summary
Moistube irrigation (MTI) is a water-saving technology that improves crop yields. This review synthesized existing literature on MTI, highlighting its origins in China and potential for arid regions globally, especially in Africa.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Engineering
- Water Management
- Sustainable Agriculture
Background:
- Agriculture consumes 70% of global freshwater resources, necessitating innovative solutions for water security and food production.
- Moistube irrigation (MTI) is a novel polymeric semi-permeable membrane technology designed to enhance water use efficiency and crop yields.
- A comprehensive review of existing literature on MTI is needed due to its relative novelty and potential impact.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a systematic literature review on Moistube irrigation (MTI) technology.
- To identify the current state of research, geographical distribution of studies, and key findings related to MTI.
- To pinpoint research gaps and future research directions for MTI.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review guided by PRISMA-P and scoping study frameworks.
- Searches conducted across multiple databases for grey literature, including Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science.
- DistillerSR software used for article screening, data extraction, and charting; 155 articles were initially screened, with 49 found relevant to MTI.
Main Results:
- The majority of MTI literature (59%) originates from China, where the technology was developed, with a focus on arid region applications.
- Forty-nine articles were identified as directly or indirectly related to Moistube irrigation.
- MTI adoption in Africa is low, with reported use only in South Africa and Morocco, despite significant potential in arid and semi-arid regions.
Conclusions:
- Significant research gaps exist regarding Moistube irrigation (MTI), particularly in areas like fertigation, wastewater effects, industrial crop yields, and soil wetting patterns.
- Further empirical investigation is crucial to expand the literature base and understand MTI's full potential.
- MTI presents substantial adoption opportunities in arid and semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa to address water scarcity and enhance food security.
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