For Thirsty Pecans Jim Bennett, who manages the Belding Pecan Farms, Ft. Stockton, is sold on the system. Already irrigating 492 acres with trickle, he now is installing the system on an additional 90 acres. He estimates an 80 percent water saving with trickle but expects the saving to decrease to 60 percent as the trees grow larger. Problems, he admits, exist.
Filtration is number one.
Another problem is coping with soluble iron content unique to his water supply. Bennett was able to overcome this problem by adding sulfuric acid to the system. Irrigation experts, in general, agree that emitter clogging problems and the high cost of installation are the two major drawbacks. Research projects are underway to try to eliminate the negatives.