Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
5.4 E
VOLUTION FROM ONE TECHNOLOGY TO
ANOTHER
Field interviews and interactions revealed that with the onset of the
irrigation technologies discussed above, there has been the evolution from
one technology to the other by irrigators. Typical of these is the evolution
from temporal shallow wells to riverine alluvial dugouts. Because of the
labour intensity and time involved in watering the farm plot with rope and
bucket, the irrigators practising temporal shallow well irrigation technology
are unable to cultivate large areas. Some of the practitioners of temporal
shallow well technology have the ambition to ‚graduate‛ to riverine alluvial
dugouts using motorized pumps to irrigate, so that they can expand their
farms. Some of the temporal shallow well irrigators were trained by the
riverine alluvial dugouts irrigators when they worked under them as farm
boys. After some years of working as farm boys they began their own farm
using temporal shallow wells from which they aim to ‚upgrade‛ to riverine
alluvial dugout.
Another evolution that was identified is that riverine alluvial dugout
irrigators are shifting to riverine water irrigation. Because of the cost
involved in digging for water and the insufficiency of water at the end of the
season, some riverine alluvial dugout irrigators have started practising
riverine water irrigation in addition to their alluvial dugouts. Also some
riverine alluvial dugout irrigators have expressed their intentions to expand
their farm plots, but due to the insufficiency of water under the alluvial
dugouts they are restricted from expanding their farm plots. The
consideration they are making now is how to access flowing water in streams
during the dry season. They have already started discussing various options
(water transfer from one perennial river, upstream dam and improved
groundwater abstraction methods) with stakeholders like the Ministry of
Agriculture, Researchers and Irrigation Development Authority.
Also farmers using small reservoirs complain of the small farm sizes in the
irrigable area. Some of these farmers manage to add on other technologies
such as: pumping directly from the reservoir using motorized pumps,
developing temporal shallow wells downstream of the irrigable area to add to
their farm plots or practising riverine water technology in addition to their
farm plots.
In Atankwidi one landowner who previously rented land to irrigators who
practised temporal shallow wells and riverine alluvial dugouts on portions of
his land was found using permanent shallow wells (8 in number for a farm
size of 0.25ha). He was previously irrigating from riverine alluvial dugouts.
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