Efficient agricultural drip irrigation inspired by fig leaf morphology

Shijie Liu, Chengqi Zhang, Tao Shen, Zidong Zhan, Jia Peng, Cunlong Yu, Lei Jiang and Zhichao Dong ()
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Shijie Liu: Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chengqi Zhang: Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Tao Shen: Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zidong Zhan: Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jia Peng: Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Cunlong Yu: Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Lei Jiang: Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zhichao Dong: Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Irrigation is limited by water scarcity. Here, we show how a drip irrigation system inspired by the leaf of the fig tree Ficus religiosa (also known as the bodhi tree) can improve irrigation efficiency. The reverse curvature of the leaf regulates the convergence process of multiple water streams, while its long-tail apex allows for fast water drainage with the droplet separation centroid beyond the leaf apex. We explain why drip frequency increases after the break-up of contact line pinning at the apex tip by using scaling laws for drip volume and analyzing drainage dynamics. We build a drip irrigation emitter inspired by the bodhi leaf apex and compare the germination efficiency of wheat, cotton, and maize under different irrigation modes. These results show that the proposed bodhi-leaf-apex-mimetic (BLAM) drip irrigation can improve water saving while ensuring germination and seedling growth.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41673-0

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