Efficient Water Management Techniques for Higher Agricultural Productivity: Case Studies from Northern Karnataka

Abstract

In view of the growing scarcity for irrigation water global necessity is felt to improve water use efficiency in irrigation as it consumes a largest chunk of total available water. Innovative technologies are evolved for efficient water management to improve crop productivities. In this paper, findings of studies concerned to increasing water use efficiency are discussed. A field experiment on effect of drip irrigation in cotton indicated that by applying same quantity and 50 per cent of water as of surface irrigation (control), yield increased by 28 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively. When water applied through drip irrigation was 25 per cent of the control, yield reduced by 2.5 per cent, but in this case highest water use efficiency was observed. Demonstrations on water use efficiency in the surface irrigation revealed that adoption of alternatively alternate furrow irrigation (AAFI) saved irrigation water by 13 per cent and increased water use efficiency by 15.91 per cent over farmers' method of Furrow Irrigation (FI). While in case of border strip irrigation with 80 per cent cutoff length increased wheat yield by 9.25 per cent over farmers' practice with water saving of 9 per cent and increased water use efficiency by 20 per cent. Independent economic analyses of adoption of drip and advanced irrigation techniques convinced the financial feasibility of adopting new technologies, which can be promoted through the state supported measures like irrigation subsidies.