1. Houses in the desert of Rajasthan India near the city of Barmer
2. We plant an experiment in the desert together with the BAIF Research Institute
3. We need water to plant there is a well close by
4. The whole village takes water from the well
5. The women carry the water in stainless steel jars to their homes
6. As women do not work with the men, a little boy brings the water to us
7. We first put 40 liters in the 20 cm deep planting hole to create a humid capillary column
8. The water drains quickly into the soil and compacts the loose sand around the roots of the sapling
9. The sapling is pruned in order to prevent evaporation through the leaves before he has developed its root system again
10. We wait half an hour before all the water is gone
11. Then we add the carton board and put a little 'hill-like' sand on top so when we add water through the middle opening it can close the gap between box and soil
12. If we don't do this many times there is an opening between box and soil resulting in ventilation and drying of the wick
13. Pieter Hoff explains the need of the 'hill-like' pile of sand
14. Then the Groasis Waterboxx® is carefully placed over the sapling common name Gunda tree (Cordia dichotoma)
15. It is known that Cordia dichotoma can live in areas without rain but they need help to get their roots deep
16. Competing grass fighting for the same water
17. The grassroots absorb the wick and drink all the water resulting in that the trees dies
18. So we take all the grass out in a circle of 50 cm width around the Waterboxx®
19. The loose soil also locks up the capillary water in the soil
20. We add 4 liters (one gallon) of water indirectly in the center opening this way we will not wash out the roots
21. Then we add 16 liters in the Groasis waterboxx mostly this is enough but with extreme circumstances one refill in a year may be expected
22. Beautiful caracteristic cows enjoy the shade of trees near Barmer in Rajasthan
23. The team of researchers of BAIF and Jan Lindeman from The Netherlands greet you