Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center “Linking Citizens of Louisiana with Opportunities for Success” Rainwater Harvesting Mila Berhane Baton Rouge, LA April 4, 2012

Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center “Linking Citizens of Louisiana with Opportunities for Success” Benefits to Harvesting Rainwater It is simple and free It is pure and untreated Reduces your water bill, especially in the summer Limits your use of scarce and/ or contaminated groundwater

Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center “Linking Citizens of Louisiana with Opportunities for Success” Benefits to Harvesting Rainwater Rainwater collected within the barrel is safe for plants because the typical minerals and pollutants trapped in the rainwater are filtered out by plant roots.

Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center “Linking Citizens of Louisiana with Opportunities for Success” Benefits to Harvesting Rainwater Perfect for landscaping as rainwater is healthier for plants Great for daily use which includes, indoor and outdoor cleaning and flushing It is a sustainable practice!!!

Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center “Linking Citizens of Louisiana with Opportunities for Success” Rainwater around the world In Bermuda and U.S. Virgin Island, the law requires all new constructions to include rainwater harvesting. A single-family house must have a catchment area of 1206 ft 2 and a storage tank with 484 ft 2 capacity

Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center “Linking Citizens of Louisiana with Opportunities for Success” Rainwater around the world In Great Britain, the British government's Code For Sustainable Homes encourages fitting large underground tanks to new-build homes to collect rainwater.

Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center “Linking Citizens of Louisiana with Opportunities for Success”

Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center “Linking Citizens of Louisiana with Opportunities for Success”

Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center “Linking Citizens of Louisiana with Opportunities for Success” What is a rain barrel? A rain barrel collects and stores rainwater from rooftops to use later for watering plants and gardens. Water collected in a rain barrel would normally pour off your roof directly or flow through roof gutter downspouts and become stormwater.

Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center “Linking Citizens of Louisiana with Opportunities for Success” Rain barrels Fine mesh screen should be used to cover any openings in the rain barrel to prevent mosquitoes and to trap debris. Rain barrels can be installed upon blocks or a wooden crate to provide height for gravity flow purposes.

Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center “Linking Citizens of Louisiana with Opportunities for Success” Rainbarrels

Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center “Linking Citizens of Louisiana with Opportunities for Success” Rain barrels The typical size of a rain barrel is 55 gallons The barrel will require periodic cleaning. A safe cleaning solution is 2 teaspoons of soap and 2 teaspoons of vinegar per gallon of water or 2 teaspoons of lemon juice per gallon of water.

Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center “Linking Citizens of Louisiana with Opportunities for Success” Samples of rainbarrels

Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center “Linking Citizens of Louisiana with Opportunities for Success”

Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center “Linking Citizens of Louisiana with Opportunities for Success” Where Can I Get One? Several stores sell rain barrels including Lowe’s and Target Prices start under $100

Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center “Linking Citizens of Louisiana with Opportunities for Success” Drip Irrigation for Sustainable Crop Production Yemane Ghebreiyessus

Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center “Linking Citizens of Louisiana with Opportunities for Success” Benefits of Proper Irrigation Secures crop production Increases yield Improves crop quality Allows controlled time of planting Increases efficiency of fertigation Reduces damage from freezing

Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center “Linking Citizens of Louisiana with Opportunities for Success” Drip Irrigation

Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center “Linking Citizens of Louisiana with Opportunities for Success”

Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center “Linking Citizens of Louisiana with Opportunities for Success”

Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center “Linking Citizens of Louisiana with Opportunities for Success” $