Zai Pits

Catch the rain. Feed the roots.
  • A grid of freshly dug Zai pits
  • Kale seedlings planted in Zai pits on a larger field

A proven water-harvesting technique

Zai pits are a technology for water conservation in crop production, suited to larger fields.

Zai pits are planting pits dug in a grid across a field and filled with manure or compost. When it rains, each pit catches water and runoff and holds it, together with nutrients, right where the crop's roots are. It is an old, proven technique for dry and tired soils, and it works well for crops like kales on bigger plots.

  • Captures rainwater that would otherwise run off
  • Concentrates manure and compost at the roots
  • Helps crops through dry spells
  • Rebuilds tired, degraded soil over time
  • Low cost: mostly labour and organic matter
  • Scales from a small plot to a larger field
What ARA does

We mark out and dig the pits, fill them with the right organic matter, plant your crop, and train you or your workers to maintain and reuse the pits season after season.