Investigation of the Effectiveness of Using Luffa Cylindrica to Reduce Water Consumption in Agriculture

Background: To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals: Zero Hunger, a stable and accessible water supply in agriculture is essential. The projected steady increase in population will contribute to a moderate increase in consumption, which in turn will require the development of technologies that increase soil productivity. With the increasing impact of global warming, droughts are becoming increasingly common in the northern region of Bangladesh. Notably, Bangladeshi farmers currently allocate about 37% of the total cost of rice production to irrigation. Objectives: The current study aims to overcome the problem of water shortage in agriculture, particularly in rice cultivation. It is expected that the use of biological sponge extracted from dried Luffa cylindrica will help retain water for its uptake by rice roots. That is, it is expected that by using Luffa cylindrica it will be possible to prevent or significantly reduce evapotranspiration and water seepage into the soil. Methods: This work is an experimental study on rice cultivation in soil with and without Luffa cylindrica. The study controlled the main factors contributing to water loss: evaporation and percolation, for the quantitative measurement of which different systems and methods were used. In addition, other extensive measurements related to irrigation were carried out and contribute to the understanding of the effectiveness/ineffectiveness of the studied approach to reducing water use. Results: A comparison of fields with and without Luffa cylindrica shows a marked contrast in water storage capacity. Initial observations indicate that integrating Luffa cylindrica into rice paddies improves water retention, thereby reducing losses due to evaporation and seepage. It was found that the irrigation frequency was above the optimum threshold to achieve the desired result. In addition, more water was required to fill the Luffa-containing field than the Luffa-containing field, as the dry Luffa cylindrica also had to be saturated. Despite these issues, the use of Luffa cylindrica resulted in water savings of 26.97%. Conclusion: improving soil moisture retention in rice paddies. By utilizing the fibrous structure of dry Luffa cylindrica, water losses due to evapotranspiration and seepage were significantly reduced, resulting in substantial water savings and reduced costs for farmers. The eco-friendliness and cost-effectiveness of Luffa cylindrica highlights its potential as a sustainable water management solution for agricultural practices. Its availability and ease of cultivation make it a viable option for farmers, with minimal investment required to implement the technique on a large scale.