Another interesting experiment would be testing plastic versus metal plates. The metal might be chilled by the night desert air and condense more dew.
>> “The metal might be chilled by the night desert air and condense more dew.”
Yes. But I think that a substantial part of the water channeled to the plant’s roots comes from the UNDERSIDE of the funnel. That is, water in the soil, which evaporates in the sun, and condenses on the bottom of the funnel. If metal, it would :
1. shield the soil immediately below it from the suns heat;
2. the metal funnel would (presumably) absorb much of the sun’s heat, preventing any evaporated water from condensing on its warm surface.
I wonder if they have tried “air wells?”
DG