Irrigation Facilities Research Articles

Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Adaptation Strategies of Tomato Producers’ to Climate Change in North West, Nigeria

This work evaluated socio-economic factors influencing adaptability strategy of tomato producers to climate change in North West, Nigeria. Primary data utilized were based on well-designed questionnaire distributed to 100 tomato producers. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics adaptability strategy use index, multinomial Logit model, and principal component model. The outcome shows that the average age of tomato producers approximates 44 years. They are literate with an average of 12 years of school education. About 51% of tomato producers had access to credit, and they are smallholder farmers with average of 0.81 hectares of farm land. The major climate change adaptation strategies used by tomato producers and their corresponding indexes include planting of heat and drought tolerant crop (0.9704), use of improved seeds (0.9675), mulching (0.8976), soil and water conservation technique (0.8312), and use of organic manure (0.7917). The significant predictors influencing the choice of low climate change adaptation strategy users include years of school education, age, experience in tomato farming, and income earned from tomato farming. The significant predictors influencing high climate change adaptation strategy users include years of school education, and income earned from tomato farming. The major challenges faced by tomato producers and their corresponding Eigen values include a lack of improved seeds (8.6935), lack of technology (5.93660, lack of processing and storage facilities (3.9274), and lack of capacity building for producers (3.5173). Improved seeds, irrigation facilities, and farm technologies should be made available to tomato producers to combat threats of climate variability and increase productivity.

Mapping irrigation regimes in Chinese paddy lands through multi-source data assimilation

Water-saving irrigation (WI) is a crucial agricultural management with the benefits to save irrigation water, reduce energy consumption, and suppress methane emissions from paddy lands. Classifying WI practices from traditional flooding irrigation (FI) is a key component in detecting the rice irrigation status, which is significant to estimate the total agriculture-associated greenhouse gas emissions. In this study, we developed an automatic method to map irrigation regimes across Chinese paddy lands. First, we used seven variables related with irrigation facility or vegetation cover as proxy to generate representative WI and FI samples. Besides, we composited 123 features of optical bands and synthetic aperture radar from MODIS and Sentinel-1 data. Then, we trained a random forest model for each province with these samples. Finally, we applied the trained model to generate maps of WI/FI practices at 500 m resolution. Comparisons of the resultant maps with census data indicated highly accurate estimations of the WI area at a city- or province-level, with a R2 higher than 0.92. The overall accuracy of the classification was approximately 0.73, as validated through ground truth samples. Additionally, we also conducted a data quality analysis and confirmed the classification results were reliable in main rice production area of China. With the push towards carbon neutrality goals and the increasing demand for clean management practices, we developed and demonstrated an advanced method to produce near real-time maps of irrigation regimes and provide crucial data support for agricultural emissions reduction and irrigation management decisions.

Economics and Constraints of Organic Turmeric at Kakching District of Manipur

Background: As the locale of the present study has high potential for production of organic turmeric, so to take the relevant measures for best exploit the resources and to create more income and employment to the rural people. Methods: The present study is based on 200 turmeric growers drawn by adopting a multistage purposive stratified simple random sampling technique from Kakching district; based on the primary data, collected through personal interview method with the help of pre-tested and well structured questionnaire exclusively designed pertaining for the agricultural year 2020-2022. Result: The majority (93.00 per cent) of the respondents belonged to semi-medium land holding with an area of 2.01 to 3.00 ha, total gross return was highest (₹ 1,61,768.44/-) for medium farm size group and benefit-cost ratio was highest (2.64 : 1) for small farm size group. The major production constraint was lack of proper inputs, lack of training, lack of irrigation facility, lack of quality planting material etc.

Turmeric Cultivation in Erode District: An Analysis of Farmer Constraints

Turmeric farming is a key agricultural activity in the Erode District of Tamil Nadu, contributing significantly to the region's economy. However, farmers in this area face a myriad of constraints that hinder their productivity and economic stability. This study investigates the specific challenges encountered by turmeric growers, focusing on technical, economic, marketing, storage, and general constraints. In terms of production, consumption, and exports, India leads the world in turmeric usage. India is estimated to produce 11.7 lakh metric tonnes of turmeric in 2022–2023. Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal are the main states in India that produce turmeric. In Tamil Nadu, 96,000 metric tons of turmeric are grown around 20,000 hectares. An ex-post facto research design was employed, with Kodumudi Block selected due to its prominence in turmeric cultivation in Erode district. A proportionate random sampling technique was used to select 120 respondents from five villages: Vengampur, Punjai Kollanali, Unjalur, Kollathupalayam, and Kodumudi. The inclusion of an interview schedule as the data collection tool adds depth to the study, as it allows for a structured approach to gathering information directly from the respondents, ensuring the reliability and validity of the findings. The data that were gathered was compiled and subjected to suitable statistical analysis like cumulative frequency method, percentage analysis and ranking method. The findings reveal that the most critical issues include high fluctuations in market prices, pest and disease outbreaks, inadequate storage facilities, and a lack of technical guidance. Economic challenges such as high input costs, difficulty in securing loans, and insufficient subsidies further exacerbate the situation. Marketing constraints, including poor transportation infrastructure and the absence of regulated markets, force farmers into distress sales. General issues like labor shortages and inadequate irrigation facilities add to the farmer burdens. To address these challenges, the study suggests implementing efficient irrigation systems, promoting integrated pest management (IPM) programs, establishing community-based storage facilities, and strengthening farmer cooperatives to enhance their bargaining power. Additionally, introducing government-backed procurement systems with minimum support prices (MSP) and improving access to financial services are recommended as the solutions. By tackling these constraints, the study aims to enhance the sustainability and profitability of turmeric farming in Erode District, ensuring a stable livelihood for the farmers.

Production and Marketing Constraints Faced by the Chinese Onion (Allium chinense) Growers in Nagaland

The present study was conducted to examine the in-depth information of the socio-economic and constraints faced by the respondents during the production and marketing of Chinese onion in the concerned place of study. The data were collected through personal interview schedule by the researcher by adopting the purposive simple random technique from one district and two blocks were purposely selected and three villages from each block were selected by random method, which has make a total of 90 respondents selected from the six numbers of selected villages. The study revealed that majority of the farmers (62.00%) belonged to the middle age group (40 to 61 years). The study revealed that majority of the respondents had small sized field (0.008 to 0.024 ha). Among the various constraints in technology adoption to production, problems due to pest and diseases, lack of irrigation facility, lack of proper market, were the major challenges. Lack of all weather roads, no support prices and no reliable sources of distant market information were the major constraint faced in the marketing of Chinese onion.

From perception to action: Participatory water risk assessment in Nagaon District of Assam, India

This paper presents an examination of water risks in rural communities within Nagaon district of Assam, India. It employs a participatory approach to integrate community perspectives into the assessment process. The objective is to engage local people, gain an understanding of water risks they encounter in their everyday lives, and incorporate their opinions and experiences. To achieve this objective, the present analyses employ mixed methods, including stakeholder interviews, focus group discussions, household surveys, and community forums. Additionally, the development of the Participatory Water Risk Index (PWRI) provides a novel metric for quantifying and prioritizing water risks, aligning with local priorities and perspectives. The findings highlight the identification and evaluation of seven key parameters of water risk which include availability and sufficiency of drinking water, water quality issues, prevalence of water-related diseases, irrigation facilities, vulnerability to floods, and utilization of public water infrastructure. The study underscores the importance of community involvement and empowerment in addressing water-related challenges and promoting resilience. Policy recommendations derived from the research emphasize the need for context-specific approaches to water resource management, recognizing the unique challenges and strengths of each community within the district. The transferability of the PWRI to other locations offers substantial opportunities for improving water security worldwide, contingent upon careful consideration of context-specific parameters and community engagement. Thus, this paper contributes to the advancement of sustainable water management practices by integrating local knowledge into the assessment process, guiding future interventions to build a water-secure future for rural communities in Nagaon district and beyond.

The detrimental effect of socio-economic factors on cotton productivity in the tribal region of Odisha

Cotton is a crucial cash crop in the tribal belt of Odisha. It has a significant effect on the livelihood of the tribal people. The volatile socio-economic background of the tribal farmers is a major hindrance to the proper development of the agriculture sector. In this regard, it is important to study the possible factors affecting cotton productivity in the tribal region to boost the policy effectiveness for the development of this cash crop in the area. More precisely, how is their socio-economic condition reflected in their crop productivity? So, the development of the tribal farmers can develop this crop in the region. This study analyses the detrimental effect of socio-economic factors on cotton productivity in the tribal area of Odisha. The data are collected using a structured questionnaire and a multiple-sampling technique. To understand the effect of socioeconomic factors on productivity, the ordinary least square (OLS) method has been employed in this paper. The result shows that most of the farmers are illiterate for which productivity is degrading. The age and gender of the head of the household are significant contributors to the cotton productivity of the study area. Male-headed households are more productive than female-headed households. Per capita monthly income and proportion of irrigated land are also important factors to affect cotton productivity positively. However, the social group of the family has no significant effect on the cotton productivity in the study area. Policymakers and agriculturists should emphasize farmer literacy, farmer income and land irrigation facilities to boost the productivity of this crop in the studied region.

Ensuring China's food security in a geographical shift of its grain production: Driving factors, threats, and solutions

Grain production in China has increased over time despite limited access to natural resources. However, this has led to China's grain supply system becoming increasingly vulnerable and unsustainable due to a northward shift of its grain production. Here, we establish a framework to guide future grain policy formulation in response to previous practices and lessons learned from China's past grain production. This framework integrated the spatial gravity model, spatial mismatch index, logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI), and Monte Carlo simulation to identify the key drivers behind grain growth, analyze their impacts on food security, and propose countermeasures. We found that grain production increase in China is not universally attributable to increased input of farmland and water resources, but rather, socio-economic factors including agricultural technology and irrigation facilities have improved efficiency. The spatial heterogeneity in their driving effects in different major grain producing regions has led grain production to shifted to the northern regions that have few natural resources, posing new challenges for food security: without new policies, China will not be poised to meet increased grain demand projected from 2025 to 2030, especially for rice and soybeans. From a comparison across four grain policies, it is found that region-specific policies will most effectively accelerate transitions to sustainable food production systems. We urge decision-makers to reach beyond natural resource inputs and focus on socio-economic factors, particularly inputs for replanting abandoned farmland and irrigation facilities that can ensure food security in the future.

Growth and instability in mungbean production in India

Mungbean is mainly cultivated in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. It is the third important pulse crop of India grown in nearly 18 percent of the total pulse area. The paper delves into the current state of mungbean in India, examining the shift of the area of mungbean across zones and its underlying reasons. The study has been carried out based on secondary data and the data was collected for the period from 1970-71 to 2020- 21. Compound annual growth rate and instability index were computed. The results showed that mungbean area and production declined in the eastern zone but showed considerable growth in the southern zone. Production in all the major states increased with a positive growth rate except Odisha. In Odisha, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh areas have shown higher instability than productivity, but Karnataka, Maharashtra, and all of India’s productivity was found more unstable. Therefore, it is necessary to promote the adoption of conservation practices, harvesting of rainwater by creation of structures like farm ponds as well as to expand irrigation facilities to overcome variability in productivity.

Long-Term Seasonal and Annual Rainfall Trend Analysis of Giridih District, Jharkhand, India

District Giridih is primarily rain dependent on its 95 per cent net cultivable land under summer-monsoon crops. It is classified as a mono-cropping area as it lacks irrigation facilities, essential for winter crops. In the last few years, the district experienced water stress due to the shortage of monsoon rainfall. We study long term seasonal and annual rainfall trend analyses for the Giridih district of Jharkhand in India using linear regression modelling. The last 100 years of data were taken for the study and were divided into two-time phases of 50 years each to analyse the changing pattern of rainfall trends. We found a decreasing trend in monsoon rainfall from 1 mm y-1 to 3 mm y-1 between the initial (1921-1971) and final (1972-2021) phase of the study period. Similarly, the return period of droughts (rainfall deficit years) has also reduced from 11 years to 5 years. The study has shown that the rainfall pattern has changed, with the winter months showing a decrease and the pre-monsoon months an increase in their relative contributions to the annual rainfalls. The study may help in the formulation of water resource conservation-oriented decision-making to cope-up with the rainfall uncertainties and meet the future water demand.

Empirical Analysis on Economic Sustainable of Rice Rain-Fed Area in Rural Cambodia

This paper investigates the economic sustainability of Cambodian rural rice farmers. Rice in Cambodia is a stable crop just as in many other Southeast Asian countries. The rice plants not only provide food to people but also a source of feed for livestock. Based on survey about of 6 districts of the rural household in Battambang of Cambodia, a total 204 rice farmers were interviewed and multiple regression models was applied using the method of Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) to determine the factors affecting the Crop-livestock farmers’ disposable income. The study aggregated the livestock of 3 species including cattle, pig and chicken in cattle unit standard known as Livestock Unit (LU). The result of the empirical analysis shows that many household demography factors as well as the socioeconomic factors influences the disposable income. The findings in the study provide an insight to the government and extension offices on effective development of economic sustainability of rice farming and livestock production system in the regions; investing more in public animal healthcare; ensure stable market prices for both rice and livestock, paying more attention on the factors limiting income in particular to poorer provinces and districts. Provide irrigation facilities accompanied with high technological varieties to encourage the double or even triple rice seasons. In addition, government (especially the ministry of agriculture) should embark on technological transfer among provinces and countries with successful agricultural system, orient farmers on the potential benefits of crop-livestock farming, provide training ground and scheme to local farmers.

ANALYSIS OF RICE PRICE FORMATION AND INCREASE AT THE FARMER LEVEL

<p>This study aims to determine and analyze the condition of farmers, increasing and determining rice prices at the farmer level in German Village, Sugio District, Lamongan Regency. This study used a qualitative approach with data collection methods by conducting interviews. The results of this study show that German Village is a village with high agricultural sector potential due to rainfed areas. In addition, irrigation facilities and agricultural equipment in German Village are very adequate. Furthermore, the average German Village farmer has a land area above 5,000 m2 with a harvest period of 4 months and can harvest 3 times a year. Next, in rice pricing, the role of middlemen is very large. Meanwhile, there are four ways to increase rice prices, including: selling crops through social media, price monopoly by farmers, agricultural socialization, and scheduling harvest and planting seasons.</p>

Study on mapping method of irrigated cultivated land–taking Nebraska as an example

The distribution information of irrigated cultivated land is important to many studies, including grain yield estimation, water resources management, drought risk assessment, and so on. This study developed a feature variable, called the irrigation probability index (IPI), based on the principle that irrigation can slow down or inhibit the evolution from meteorological drought to agricultural drought. Nebraska, which has a good irrigation information database, was selected as the study area. Combining IPI with the irrigation statistical data and other selected feature variables, irrigated cultivated land in Nebraska was mapped in 2017 using both the spatialization method and remote sensing classification methods (random forest and support vector machine). We verified the effectiveness of IPI in identifying irrigated cultivated land, analyzed the importance of different feature variables for irrigated cultivated land identification, and compared the accuracy of different irrigation mapping methods. The results show that the IPI is significantly correlated with the actual irrigation area, the area of irrigation facilities, and the number of active irrigation wells. It has a better indicative ability of irrigation in areas with a suitable climate or arid areas, than in areas with a humid climate. The crop water stress index (CWSI), IPI, vegetation index (EVI and NDVI), and land surface temperature difference between day and night are the most important feature variables that are used to distinguish irrigated cultivated land from rain-fed cultivated land. There are differences between the recognition accuracies of the three mapping methods in different climatic regions. Overall, the spatialization method had the highest accuracy (overall accuracy = 86.92 %, kappa = 0.74) and the highest similarity with the existing high-resolution irrigation maps. This study provides a direct and useful reference for other researchers to select feature variables and mapping methods in irrigated cultivated land mapping research.

Training needs of tribal youth and constraints faced by tribal youth in choosing agricultural enterprises

Youth is that vibrant time in a person’s life when they can channel their vigour and energy into influencing the course of an entire country. The Ministry of Human Resource Development (1985) considers “youth group” in India as the person under the age group of 15 to 35 years. Tribal youth refer to the youth community belonging to the age group of 15-35 years and have commonality in terms of name, culture, dialect, territory and taboos. Identifying the training needs is the first step of any training programme for a specific target group. The training for tribal youth could serve as an effective tool for developing positive attitude with improved confidence and greater willingness towards agricultural enterprises. This further could help in development of training modules in various agricultural enterprises. It was observed that the overall Training Need Index (TNI) of the study area was 0.48, which was under medium training needs. Within that paddy crop production had 0.46 and Dairy farming had 0.51 index values. It was also observed that only one training need area had high level of training need i.e., selection of variety (0.63) and very high training need level i.e., Health management of dairy animal (0.81). The important constraints reported by the tribal youth were lack of participation in Panchayat Raj System, absence of dairy unit, problems in identification of animal diseases, inadequate irrigation facilities, low rate of milk, etc.

COPING STRATEGIES ON CLIMATE VARIABILITY AMONG COWPEA FARMERS IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA

<p><strong>Background.</strong> The unstable climatic conditions can no longer be predicted by farmers. The unpredictability intensity of temperature and pattern of rainfall in cowpea production has affected the farmers’ decision on production practices and general productivity. Therefore, farmers are beginning to improvise on management practices to avert the effects of climate change to remain relevant and profitable in the business of cowpea production. <strong>Objective.</strong> To examine the farmers’ coping strategies used against the effects of climate variability for cowpea production in Kwara State, Nigeria. <strong>Methodology.</strong> A multistage sampling technique was used to select 120 cowpea-based farmers. A structured survey questionnaire was used to collect primary data. Data were analysed with frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation while Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to ascertain the relationship between socioeconomic characteristics and copying strategies used by farmers. <strong>Results.</strong> Majority (79.2%) of the respondents experienced high adverse effects of climate variability including abnormal rise in temperature (76.7%), irregular/unpredictable rainfall patterns (51.7%), and excessive rainfall (37.5%) on cowpea crop. The leading coping strategies used by farmers were use of fertilizer (x̄=2.73), herbicides (x̄=2.72), and planting early maturing variety (x̄=2.51). Farmers were mainly hindered by adequate irrigation facilities (x̄=1.72), inadequate access to extension services (x̄=1.66), and high cost of agrochemicals (x̄=1.60). Result education, cowpea farm size, years of experience in cowpea farming, membership in farmers group, and additional sources of information on cowpea production showed a positive significant relationship with the choice of coping strategies employed by cowpea farmers against the effects of climate change experienced at p<0.05 level. <strong>Implication.</strong> The study showed that abnormal rise in temperature and irregular rainfall patterns are affecting cowpea production and thus, some socioeconomic attributes significantly supported farmers’ choice of coping strategies employed against the effects of climate change and variability. <strong>Conclusion.</strong> The use of agrochemicals and cultivation of early maturing variety has played critical roles in coping with adverse effects of climate variability in cowpea production. </p>

Drivers of Land Abandonment in Neelakantha Municipality: Perceptions of Farmers

This study analysed the role of factors for land abandonment in Neelakantha municipality, Dhading. For this purpose, survey and causal-comparative research design are used. Similarly, Reliability and normality of the collected data was ensured by using cronbach alpha and Shapiro-Wilk test respectively. Then after, inferential statistical tools i.e. Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis have been used to derive the result of the study. This study found that there is a significant impact of high cost of agro product, out migration, rough topography, lack of government protection from international competition, and destruction of food crops by wild animals on land abandonment. However, the impact of irrigation facility and market access on land abandonment was not statistically significant. The findings of the study suggest that the factors that contribute to land abandonment are complex and interrelated. However, the study provides some evidence that the factors that were found to be statistically significant can play a role in land abandonment.

Smart Tractor Reinvented for Safe Crops and Pesticides Control

This study addresses the challenges faced by rural Indian agriculture due to labor shortages and the migration of rural populations to urban areas. To mitigate these issues and enhance agricultural productivity, a novel solution is proposed: a GPS-guided autonomous robotic tractor equipped with advanced agricultural functionalities. The system incorporates features such as intruder detection, security measures, irrigation facilities, pesticide spraying, and environmental monitoring capabilities. With agriculture being the primary occupation in many Indian states, the significance of this innovation cannot be overstated. By harnessing autonomous technology, the project aims to optimize crop yields while minimizing labor requirements. The robotic tractor's design integrates basic components including DC motors, intruder sensors, a WIFI camera, and a solar panel for sustainable charging. The mechanical design prioritizes simplicity and functionality to ensure efficient operation in farm fields. Overall, this research contributes to the advancement of smart agriculture in rural India, offering a promising solution to the evolving challenges faced by the agricultural sector

Assessment of Water Resources Potential of Ogun River for Irrigation Purposes at Middle Ogun Irrigation Project

The Middle Ogun Irrigation Project (MOIP) was conceived by the Federal Government of Nigeria to boost agricultural food production in the southwestern part of the country using modern irrigation facilities. However, water supply from the Ikere Gorge dam has been intermittent, particularly at the intake weir of this project, despite the enormous water resources on the dam. Therefore, this project assessed the water resources potential at the Odo Ogun intake weir guage station of the Middle Ogun Irrigation Project and evaluated the seasonal irrigation requirements on irrigation fields. The Flow Duration Curve (FDC) was derived at the gauge site for streamflow discharge from four quartiles and percentage reliability of Q95%, Q75%, Q50% and Q25%, which gave 32.40, 55.01, 60.00 and 90.00 m3/s, respectively. Hydrological modelling of the catchment was carried out using the MapWindow Soil and Water Assessment Tool (MWSWAT) for ten delineated sub-basins on the catchment and the average annual yield from the catchment was 10,094.00 mm/year. The net seasonal irrigation requirement of crops grown was evaluated using CROPWAT 8.0 and gave 428.46 mm per planting season.

Transformation of Agriculture in Damoh District of Madhya Pradesh

India has been considered as a land of villages and from very beginning agriculture has been main means of livelihood of the residents of the country specially people living in rural areas. Agriculture plays a vital role in the nation's economy. About two third of the working population earn their living through agriculture and agriculture sector contributes about 26 per cent in the gross domestic production of the country. The present study examines the transformation of the various dimension of the agriculture in the Damoh district of Madhya Pradesh based on secondary data. With the growing pressure of population, demand for land for non-agricultural activities, implementations of rural development programmes and activities, the land use pattern, cropping pattern, irrigational facilities, farming techniques and other allied activities in the study area has transformed during the period 1990 to 2020. Damoh district is located in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh and is part of Sagar division. Total geographical area of the district is 7306 sq.km. out of which 323386 hectares land is available for cultivation with 293599 hectares of irrigated land. The proportion of forest and fallow land has decreased in last two decades while the proportion of net shown area, other uncultivated land, land not available for agriculture and double cropped area has increased during the period. The cropping pattern of the study region, also transformed. The use of modern agricultural implements, fertilizers and pesticides too has increased during 1990-2020.

Growing in Scarcity: Pre-Hispanic Rain-Fed Agriculture in the Semi-Arid and Frost-Prone Andean Altiplano (Bolivia)

Ancient Andean agricultural landscapes have been the subject of a large number of archaeological and agro-ecological studies, which generally refer to regions with favourable environmental conditions or, in the case of arid and semi-arid environments, those with irrigation facilities. The aim of this article is to present and analyse the pre-Hispanic rain-fed farming systems widely represented in two adjacent regions of Bolivia’s arid and cold southern Altiplano. The search for archaeological agricultural areas combined aerial analysis and field surveys. Agro-ecological characterisation was based on historical and ethnographic studies of the region’s present-day populations. Despite their geographical proximity, similar environmental conditions, and same agropastoral way of life, the typology of cultivated areas developed in the southern altiplano differs significantly. Within this same framework of adaptation and resilience, the sectorisation of agricultural systems observed in these two regions reveals a regional productive specialisation that favoured internal exchanges and exchanges with other regions. These differences are related to two models of non-centralised, low-inequality societies—one strongly based on cohesion and the other characterised by greater fragmentation and social conflict—underlining the limits of strict environmental determinism in shaping agricultural landscapes. These results provide new food for thought in the debate on the use and value of rain-fed agricultural practices and more broadly on the diversity of adaptations by human societies in extreme and unstable environmental contexts.