Water Conservation Technologies Research Articles

Influence of planting basins on selected soil quality parameters and sorghum yield along an agro-ecological gradient in South Eastern Zimbabwe

Planting basins are an important soil and water conservation technology. This study evaluated the effects of basins on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, aggregate stability (Ima), bulk density, soil moisture retention and sorghum yield in agro-ecological regions III, IV and V of Chipinge district. The experiment consisted of three treatments; namely planting basins (basins) with goat manure and inorganic fertilizer application, hand hoeing with similar fertility amendments (FP+) and hand hoeing without fertility amendments (FP). It was hypothesized that planting basins with fertility amendments would improve the selected soil quality parameters and sorghum yield. Only planting basins significantly (p˂0.05) improved soil quality parameters in the 0-15 cm depth and bulk density, Ima, SOC stocks ranged from 1356 to 1451 kg/m3; 314 to 450 and 14.18 to 25.55 Mg ha-1 respectively. Planting basins significantly increased (p<0.05) sorghum yield relative to hand-hoeing practices (FP+ and FP) with average grain yield of 2.68, 1.72 and 1.32 t ha-1 in agro-ecological regions III, IV and V, respectively. When compared to FP+ and FP, basins increased grain yield by >130% in all the 3 agro-ecological regions. The hypothesis was accepted and it was concluded that basins improve soil properties and sorghum grain yield in agro-ecological regions III, IV and V. Considering the soil and crop productivity benefits highlighted in this study, there is a strong justification for the widespread promotion and adoption of planting basins in semi-arid agro-ecological regions of Zimbabwe.

The income and food security impacts of soil and water conservation technologies in Tanzania

Soil and water conservation technologies are critical in reducing drought and soil erosion risks and increasing crop yields and incomes. Yet, there is limited empirical evidence on the extent and impacts of adopting soil and water conservation technologies in Tanzania. The study’s objective is to evaluate the adoption (as well as the duration of adoption) and the impacts of soil and water conservation technologies on income and food security in Tanzania. The study employs a control function approach and the instrumental variable quantile treatment effects model to survey data from 575 households to estimate the average and distributional impacts of adoption. The results show that the adoption and duration of adopting soil and water conservation technologies had significant and positive effects on the total value of crop production and household income. Moreover, we find that the adoption and its duration had a significant and positive impact on the food security indicator—household dietary diversity. The results from the instrumental variable quantile treatment effects model also show that the impacts of adopting soil and water conservation technologies on the outcome variables are positive and significant, although they vary significantly across the income and food security distributions. The results indicate that even though adoption benefits households in both the lower and upper quantiles of the income and food security distributions, the marginal impacts of adoption are generally more significant for the households in the upper quantiles. The paper concludes by discussing the policy options for increasing and sustaining the adoption and impacts of soil and water conservation technologies in Tanzania.

Study on ecological environment impact and soil and water conservation technology of power transmission and transformation projects in typical ecologically fragile areas in western China

In the steady development of social and economic, the field of power transmission and transformation engineering construction in our country gradually forms a new electric power development pattern, providing a solid foundation for the innovative development of electric power enterprises in a new era. Since power transmission and transformation projects will cause serious soil and water loss, which will have a direct impact on the stability of ecological environment in various regions, which is not conducive to the construction and operation of power transmission and transformation projects and the long-term development of social economy, how to construct a safe and standardized construction environment, scientifically deal with the ecological environment problems of power transmission and transformation projects, and rationally use soil and water conservation technology? It is the main problem that Chinese scholars study and discuss at present. On the basis of understanding the environmental status of typical ecologically fragile areas in western China, and according to the development of soil and water conservation technology in power transmission and transformation projects, this paper mainly studies the online monitoring system and application technology of soil and water conservation for power transmission and transformation projects in a certain area, so as to provide effective basis for the construction management of power transmission and transformation projects in the new era.

Opinions on Irrigation Water Management Tools and Alternative Irrigation Sources by Farmers from the Delta Region of Mississippi

AbstractWater withdrawals for irrigation at an unsustainable rate resulted in a decline in the groundwater levels in the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer (MRVAA) in the central southern USA. This drawdown of groundwater threatens agricultural production in the Mississippi Delta, an important agricultural region in the state of Mississippi, USA. Effective and efficient use of available resources is important to sustain and enhance agricultural productivity in this area. This study assessed the opinions of farmers on water conservation management practices and technologies that improve irrigation management and save water in the Mississippi Delta region based on data collected in an irrigation survey conducted in 2012. Most landowners believed that water conservation practices were effective in reducing irrigation water use without reducing maximum crop yields and have a positive return on investment. Land forming, tailwater recovery system, on‐farm storage, instream weirs to pond surface water, computerized hole selection for furrow irrigation, short irrigation runs, and irrigation scheduling were considered efficient water conservation technologies by landowners. Perceptions about use of different practices also depend upon the crops produced by the respondents. About 20 to 24% and 14.9 to 86% of survey respondents thought that on‐farm storage and center pivot, respectively, were inefficient water conservation practices for irrigating crops in the Mississippi Delta. The adoption of these practices may be increased if the landowners know the economic returns of implementing them.

Irrigation technology adaptation for a sustainable agriculture: A panel endogenous switching analysis on the Italian farmland productivity

Efficient water management in agricultural activities can improve local water resource conditions while enhancing farms’ economic performance. This paper analyses how farmers’ decisions to adopt innovative and sustainable irrigation systems, such as Water Conservation and Saving Technologies (WCSTs), would shape Italian farms’ economic resilience by improving land productivity. Using a Panel Endogenous Switching Regression Model, our results confirm that the WCST adoption is an endogenous and self-selective process and land value is endogenously determined. Seasonal aridity indices are important factors in the choice of WCST adoption, with different effects on non-adopters and adopters. Farmers who adopt WCSTs are more productive than those who do not.

The Effect of Empowerment on the Adoption of Soil and Water Conservation Technology in the Loess Plateau of China

Since there is a serious problem of land degradation and soil erosion in the Loess Plateau region of China, soil and water conservation technology (SWC) is necessary to protect land resources and reduce water loss, so as to promote the development of sustainable agriculture. By using the binary probit model, this study analyzes the effect of organizational, economic and self-empowerment on the adoption of soil and water conservation technology in the Loess Plateau region of China. The results indicated that all these empowerments have significant positive effects on the adoption of SWC, and there are significant gender differences in the impact. Organizational empowerment had a more significant impact on the adoption of SWC by male household heads, while economic empowerment and self-empowerment had a more significant effect on the adoption of SWC by female household heads. Therefore, more organizational and financial support for farmers is needed, and farmers themselves should have more confidence in the adoption of new technologies. Furthermore, given the gender differences in the impact, more gender equality should be ensured in the promotion of agricultural technologies.

Exploring the contributions of non-farm income diversification for improving soil and water conservation practices and reducing rural poverty in rain-fed areas of Punjab, Pakistan

Attaining agricultural sustainability and eliminating poverty are the key challenges of rural areas. Non-farm income diversification is a vital livelihood strategy that endorses sustainable agriculture and alleviates poverty. Considering the land degradation and poor economic situation of Pakistan's rain-fed areas, the current research examined the potential effects of non-farm income diversification on household poverty and adopting soil and water conservation (SWC) technologies. A survey of 441 farmers was conducted in rain-fed areas of Punjab, Pakistan, and for econometric analysis, the propensity score matching (PSM) technique was employed to explore the objectives. The results signified that diversified farmers were more likely to adopt SWC practices and were less vulnerable to poverty. The findings suggest that farmer-based organizations and agricultural extension activities must be strengthened as they support non-farm income diversification, thus facilitating investment in soil and water conservation technologies and reducing poverty.

Plant biomass mediates the decomposition of polythene film-sourced pollutants in soil through plastisphere bacteria island effect

The polyethylene (PE) film mulching as a water conservation technology has been widely used in dryland agriculture, yet the long-term mulching has led to increasing accumulation of secondary pollutants in soils. The decomposition of PE film-sourced pollutants is directly associated with the enrichment of specific bacterial communities. We therefore hypothesized that plant biomass may act as an organic media to mediate the pollutant decomposition via reshaping bacterial communities. To validate this hypothesis, plant biomass (dried maize straw and living clover) was embedded at the underlying surface of PE film, to track the changes in the composition and function of bacterial communities in maize field across two years. The results indicated that both dry crop straw and alive clover massively promoted the α-diversity and abundance of dominant bacteria at plastisphere, relative to bulk soil. Bacterial communities tended to be clustered at plastisphere, forming the bacteria islands to enrich pollutant-degrading bacteria, such as Sphingobacterium, Arthrobacter and Paracoccus. As such, plastisphere bacteria islands substantially enhanced the degradation potential of chloroalkene and benzoate (p < 0.05). Simultaneously, bacterial network became stabilized and congregated at plastisphere, and markedly improved the abundance of plastisphere module hubs and connectors bacteria via stochastic process. Particularly, bacterial community composition and plastic film-sourced pollutants metabolism were evidently affected by soil pH, carbon and nitrogen sources that were mainly derived from the embedded biomass. To sum up, plant biomass embedding as a nature-based strategy (NbS) can positively mediate the decomposition of plastic-sourced pollutants through plastisphere bacteria island effects.

Selection of Soil and Water Conservation Technologies and Native Tree Species for Rehabilitation of Degraded Arid Lands in Southeast Ethiopia

The large-scale commercial agriculture, mining, expansion of sedentary agricultural settlements, and overgrazing in Ethiopian pastoral areas have become a major cause of land degradation. Such activities reduce grazing capacities and impoverish already fragile living conditions of the pastoralists. Such an increase in land degradations necessitates urgent calls for interventions. The main objectives of this study were to select the best performing soil and water conservation technologies and native tree species to restore degraded lands of arid and semiarid conditions in Liben District of Guji Zone, Oromia Reginal State, Ethiopia. Four locally grown and locally preferred tree species, namely, Cordia africana, Acacia tortilis, Acacia goetzei, and Combretum molle, were planted in five soil and moisture conservation structures (control, half-moon, spot hoeing, mowing, and trench). The survival rate and height and root collar diameter (RCD) growth of planted tree species were collected two years after planting. A significantly higher survival rate, RCD, and height growth of planted seedlings were recorded from half-moon (52.44 ± 12.48%; 1.66 ± 0.31 cm; 51.57 ± 2.79 cm) and trench (64.00 ± 11.49%; 1.92 ± 0.27; 69.67 ± 2.62 cm) moisture conservation structures, respectively. Acacia tortilis (58.22 ± 12.38%) and Acacia goetzei (42.99 ± 8.81%) had better survival rate than Cordia africana (4.00 ± 1.91%) and Combretum molle (24.22 ± 7.34). Cordia africana attained the largest RCD (2.50 ± 0.34 cm) and height (95.83 ± 17.25 cm) growth, followed by Acacia tortilis and Acacia goetzei. It is concluded that Acacia tortilis and Acacia goetzei are better species to grow in degraded lands. The half-moon and trench moisture conservation structures have a great potential for degraded areas of the arid and semiarid conditions of Ethiopia for better tree establishment, survival, and enhanced growth thereby rehabilitation of degraded lands.

Adoption of soil and water conservation technologies and its effects on soil properties: Evidences from Southwest Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, national wide soil and water conservation (SWC) is going on since 2010/11in all agro-climatic zones and farming systems. Therefore, this study evaluated the effects of soil bund on soil physico-chemical properties and factors determining farmers' decision on the adoption of SWC technologies in a watershed located in the sub-humid climate of southwest Ethiopia. Two sub-watersheds, namely Nada and Gulufa in the Gilgel Gibe I catchment, were selected for this study. Thirty-six soil samples were collected from non-conserved croplands and croplands conserved with soil bunds (older than 4 years) at three slope positions, namely lower (5–10%), middle (10–15%), and upper (>15%). Both composite and undisturbed top soil (0–30 cm) samples were collected and soil physicochemical properties were determined following standard laboratory procedures. The generated soil physicochemical data was analyzed using one-way ANOVA and the mean separation was carried out by the Tukey test using R-version 3.5.2. To generate survey data, 267 households were randomly selected from the two sub-watersheds and interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The collected survey data was analyzed using a binary logit model using STATA software version 13. The result showed that the implemented soil bund significantly (p < 0.05) improved soil BD, SMC, pH, SOC, TN and CEC at the three slope positions for both the Nada and Gulufa sub-watersheds. The binary logit model showed that personal, socio-economic, institutional, and physical factors influencing the decision of a farmer's adoption. This revealed the need to consider personal, socio-economic, institutional, and physical factors to enhance the willingness probability of adoption. Besides, the improvements in soil properties as a result of conservation practices can help to create awareness.

A theoretical comparison of nursery and greenhouse growers’ water conservation and water treatment technology adoption in the United States

A theoretical comparison of nursery and greenhouse growers’ water conservation and water treatment technology adoption in the United States

Review on the Role of Agricultural Extension Service on Increasing Farm Productivity in Ethiopia

Improving farm productivity either through introduction of modern technologies or by increasing agricultural extension services is vital. Agricultural extension is the primary mechanism that increases agricultural production. Therefore, reviewing the role of agricultural extension on increasing farm productivity has been interesting issue. Cognizant of this fact, reviewing the role of agricultural extension in increasing farm productivity is an important issue for policy makers in order to improve productivity. Consequently, this seminar was aimed to provide information on the role of agricultural extension in increasing farm productivity and to review agricultural extension constraints in Ethiopia. The review shows that agricultural extension service had positive and significant role on increasing farm productivity by increasing the farmer’s knowhow on agronomic practices such as pest and disease control and adoption of improved seed varieties as well as soil and water conservation technologies. On the other hand, the review reveals that weak interaction; low participation, lack of technical skills, missed use of services, the weak link of research extension, a lack of incentives, and a lack of suitable adaptation to technologies constrain the extension system across the country. Thus, based on the review the following recommendations are forwarded. Extension services should be increase to farmers by the government agents especially by district agriculture development unit, and NGO’s to assist farmers to have easy access to extension so as to increase farm productivity. In addition, to increase the current working conditions of extension agents, including transportation, housing, and proper budget allocation, the government should adopt a very responsible and practical approach.

Water Management for Sustainable Irrigation in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Production: A Review

In the face of the negative impacts of climate change and the accelerated growth of the global population, precision irrigation is important to conserve water resources, improve rice productivity and promote overall efficient rice cultivation, as rice is a rather water-intensive crop than other crops. For several decades, various water conserving technologies have been studied in order to significantly increase water use efficiency (WUE). The objective of this paper is to review the main technologies and approaches for assessing the water requirements of rice crop in order to contribute to water saving in irrigated rice production, after clarifying the performance indicators of the irrigated systems. Several scientific articles from previous studies were consulted and analyzed. These studies showed that irrigation water conservation includes a wide range of practices, staring from the crop irrigation water requirements assessment to the implementation of the water saving practices on the field. In addition, irrigation water conservation technologies could be categorized into three groups, namely water-conserving irrigation systems, water-saving irrigation methods, and water-conserving agronomic practices. The influence of the individual and combined irrigation water use efficiency tools was highlighted. This paper will enable researchers to acquire knowledge on water-saving methods for estimating the rice crop water requirements and thus allow them to effectively contribute to improve the performance of irrigated rice cultivation systems using various water conservation technologies.

Sustainable Use of Soil and Water Conservation Technologies and Its Determinants: The Case of the Handosha Watershed, Omo-Gibe River Basin, Ethiopia

For the past forty years, Ethiopia has been promoting sustainable land management activities to enhance agricultural productivity. This study was intended to identify the factors determining farmers’ adoption and continued use of soil bund measures in the Handosha watershed, Omo-Gibe river basin. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 340 households using the Heckman sample selection model. A total of 235 (69.12%) households adopted soil bunds, but only 89 (37.87%) of them were sustainably practicing soil bunds on their farm plots. Most adopters widely practiced soil bunds (49.42%), followed by stone bund (15.9%), and Fanyajuu (10%). The empirical results of the Heckman sample selection model showed that the farming experience, land tenure security, and perception of profitability of conservation measures were significantly positively affected the adoption of soil bund. Whereas, farm plot size and participation in off farm activities significantly negatively influenced the adoption of soil bund. Sustainable use of soil bund measures were significantly positively influenced by land tenure security, family size, and frequency of extension contact, whereas the distance between farm plots and home, and farm plot size were negatively affected. As a result, a design of agro-ecological-based soil and water conservation (SWC) measures was essential in reducing farmland vulnerability to soil erosion and food insecurity. It has been concluded that conservation practices should not only focus on the implementation and biophysical factors but also consider the socioeconomic interests of the farmers to improve the sustainable use of conservation technologies.

Modeling the support factor (P) as a function of socio-economic factors for improved erosion prediction on the hillslopes of Lake Victoria Basin of Uganda

A major challenge to erosion prediction using the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) is the uncertainty in parametrizing the support factor (P). This P factor is usually regarded as 1 in areas with no structural management practices. However, in agrarian landscapes which are dominated with agronomic management practices, the P factor is difficult to parameterize. Moreover, the agronomic practices are usually the most simplest and affordable soil and water conservation technologies for mitigating runoff and soil losses in many developing countries. Our objective was to model the support factor (P) as a function of socio-economic factors for adoption of management practices in order to improve erosion prediction. Our methodology involved four (4) steps; namely, (a) estimating potential erosion using RUSLE; (b) establishing the socio-economic for adoption of management practices using Probit regression analysis; (c) integrating socio-economic factors with biophysical parameters to form a Systems Dynamic (SD) model for soil erosion; and (d) validating the Systems Dynamic (SD) model at watershed level using empirical data and RUSLE as the baseline model. Validation results showed that on Acric Ferralsols at slope gradient 10-15% the potential erosion as predicted by RUSLE model ranged between 120-140 t ha -1 yr -1 . On the other hand, soil loss as predicted from the Systems Dynamic (SD) model, based on the same slope gradient and soil condition as the case in RUSLE, ranged between 11-50 t ha -1 yr -1 . This accounted for about 67-90% decrease in soil loss. Model outputs were calibrated and validated by field data measured using Un-bound runoff plots ( Gerlach Troughs ). The results showed that in sole banana soil loss increased step-wise with increasing gradient in the measured and predicted data (P &lt; 0.05); while in sole coffee contradicting results were achieved. We concluded that modelling the support factor (P) as a function of socio-economic factors provides a pragmatic solution to the uncertainty in its parameterization. Generalizing the support factor (P) as one (1) even in areas with agronomic management technology tends to over-estimate the risk of soil erosion. Thus, it can potentially stand out as a dis-incentive that undermines farmers’ efforts to mitigate runoff and soil loss in degraded watersheds. Key words: 1. Erosion, 2. Geo information science, 3. System Dynamics, 4. Support factor, 5. Uganda Funding was by SIDA SAREC Project 377 under Makerere University for the period 2016-2022. DOI: 10.7176/JEES/13-3-06 Publication date: May 30 th 2023

The effects of continuous sustainable land management practices on agricultural land productivity in Central Ethiopia

The Ethiopian government has exerted efforts to rehabilitate degraded agricultural lands using a range of sustainable land management (SLM) initiatives to enhance agricultural productivity. One of the key components was improved structural soil and water conservation (SWC) technologies. This study examines the effects of continuous SLM practices on agricultural land productivity, with particular emphasis on SWC technology adoption in Central Ethiopia. The analysis was based on the data collected from 525 sample household surveys in two districts, namely Kewet and Sebeta-hawas. A propensity score matching (PSM) model was used to investigate the effects on treated and non-treated plots. The study findings revealed a substantial and positive effect on treated agricultural plots compared to non-treated ones in the Kewet district. At the same time, the difference was found positive but not significant in the Sebeta-hawas counterpart. The insignificant impacts are justified because SWC efforts focused on constructing structures rather than tailoring them with soil-replenishment and productivity enhancement functions. The important conclusion is that continuous SWC adoption efforts positively impact agricultural productivity; however, its effect is more noticeable when SWC structures are integrated with productivity enhancement functions and applied in low moisture areas. Thus, policymakers and project planners should consider the role of integrating physical SWC structures with soil replenishment and agronomic activities.

Pemberdayaan Masyarakat melalui Teknik Konservasi Tanah dan Air dalam Upaya Mitigasi Dampak Perubahan Iklim

Land use regulation and soil and water conservation techniques need to be intensified to minimize the impact of climate change, especially in controlling floods, erosion and landslides. The purpose of this service is to provide education to the public in efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change through environmentally friendly soil and water conservation technology. The method used in this service is a participatory educational and training method or educational and participatory approach with extension activities, training and technical guidance. The results of the service implementation have been carried out, namely: preparation, introduction of activities, implementation of counseling/training on the material: a) The benefits of increasing land productivity through soil and water conservation techniques and b) Introduction and several soil and water conservation techniques, namely vegetative techniques and terrace construction. the contours of the A frame model, in addition, an evaluation is carried out. Service activities provide benefits in increasing land productivity and assisting in planting arrangements according to contour lines and as a basis for making terraces.

Analysis of Selected Soil Properties in Relation to Soil and Water Conservation Practices in Sibiya Arera, Soro District, South Central Ethiopia.

Soil erosion by water is a severe and continuous ecological problem in the south central highlands of Ethiopia. Limited use of soil and water conservation technologies by farmers is one of the major causes that have resulted in accelerated soil erosion. Within this context, significant attention has been given to soil and water conservation practices. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of soil and water conservation practices on soil physicochemical properties after being practiced continuously for up to 10 years. The physicochemical properties of soil of landscape with physical soil and water conservation structures without biological conservation measures and physical soil and water conservation structures combined with biological conservation measures were compared with soil of landscape without soil and water conservation practices. The result of analysis disclosed that soil and water conservation interventions (both with biological and without biological measures) significantly increased the soil pH, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and available phosphorus content than the soil of landscape without soil and water conservation practices. The results of the analysis also showed that the mean value of cation exchange capacity and exchangeable bases (K+, Na+, Ca2 +, and Mg2 +) of the soil under nonconserved farm field was significantly lower as compared to the soil of adequately managed farm fields. The findings of this study clarified that there was significant variation in soil properties. This variation could be due to uneven transport of soil particles by runoff. Therefore, soil conservation structures supported with biological measures improves the soil's physicochemical properties.

Potential of soil and water conservation technologies for dryland agriculture and forestry

ABSTRACT Objective: Drylands cover 41% of the earth’s terrestrial landmass while in Kenya; they cover 80% of the land surface with production in these areas often impeded by soil moisture limitation thereby necessitating soil moisture conservation. The study aimed at identifying feasible soil moisture conservation technologies for agriculture and forestry development. Methodology and Results: The current metadata analysis evaluated 80 reference materials comprising of journal papers, book chapters and conference proceedings; 38.8% being research conducted in Kenya, 31.2% was research undertaken in other parts of Africa while 30.0% was research done in other parts of the globe. Available data shows that mulching enhanced infiltration by 81% reduced runoff by 54% and enhanced crop yield by 39%; terraces enhanced infiltration by 8% and reduced runoff by 30%. Micro-catchments enhanced moisture content by 45%, reduced runoff by 63% and enhanced crop yield by 17%. Further, the use of polymers enhanced crop yield by up to 45%. In Kenya, soil and water conservation technologies have been tested in Machakos, Embu, Kitui, Busia, Makueni and Tharaka Nthi counties. The main impediments to adoption of these technologies in Kenya and other parts of the globe include increased risk of pest and diseases incidences; high labour requirements; require large land sizes and increased cost of production resulting from labour requirements. The research gaps identified by different researchers concerning soil water conservation technologies are: lack of effective dissemination platforms to highlight efficiency of the different technologies; cost-benefit analysis of the different soil water conservation technologies and limited data on potential of various soil water conservation technologies for tree growing in ASALs. Conclusion: This review has revealed that adequate information on soil and moisture conservation technologies is needed and tailored to specific farmers’ needs to enhance level of adoption. In order to realize the full potential of soil and moisture conservation technologies, effective dissemination platforms such as use of demonstration plots and farmers’ field schools are required. Key words: soil moisture, technologies, conservation, adoption, ASALs

Has Property Rights Reform of China’s Farmland Water Facilities Improved Farmers’ Irrigation Efficiency?—Evidence from a Typical Reform Pilot in China’s Yunnan Province

China is implementing a pilot project to reform the property rights of farmland water facilities to solve the serious problems of chaotic end-of-pipe governance and inefficient irrigation from farmers. Based on microscopic research data of farm households in a typical pilot in Lu Liang County, Yunnan Province, in China, this study uses the Tobit model, and SEM was used to explore the impact of property rights reform on the irrigation efficiency of farmers and the potential mechanism paths. We further analyzed the differences in governance logic and irrigation efficiency between the two property rights models of “multiple cooperative governance” and “private contract governance” formed after the reform. The findings are as follows: (1) Compared with nonreformed areas, reformed areas have a higher promotion of adoption of water-saving technologies and a better quality of facility maintenance, which significantly contributes to irrigation efficiency, but farmers’ perception of water scarcity negatively affects irrigation efficiency; (2) there are differences between the “multiple cooperative governance model” and “private contract governance model” in terms of the mechanism paths to improve irrigation efficiency, resulting in different focuses between the two models, in which the former one has better irrigation efficiency while cutting off some of the farmers’ benefits and the latter benefits more farmers while losing some of the irrigation efficiency. Finally, this study recommends that China should continue to promote the reform of farmland water property rights while focusing on promoting water conservation technologies, improving the quality of facility maintenance and facility water supply capacity, enhancing farmers’ awareness of water scarcity, and implementing a more water-efficient “multiple cooperative governance model”. The results of this study provide a model with Chinese characteristics for developing property rights policies and governance models for farmland water facilities in developing countries.