ON FARM WATER MANAGEMENT

PRIMARY PROJECT ACTIVITY CONSISTS OF THE ESTABLISHMENT AND EFFECTIVE OPERATION OF 3 RESEARCH/DEMONSTRATION FARMS BY THE GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF WATER. THESE FARMS WILL PROVIDE THE BASIS FOR APPLIED RESEARCH AS DEMONSTRATION FOR APPLICATION BY THE SMALL FARMER TARGET BENEFICIARY. TECHNICIANS WILL BE TRAINED TO PROMOTE DEMONSTRATION AND EXTENSION OF IMPROVED IRRIGATION AND AGRONOMIC PRACTICES AMONG SMALL FARMERS, AND THE ON-FARM WATER USE DEMONSTRATION NETWORK WILL BE STRENGTHENED. THE WATER-FERTILIZER-PRODUCTION INTERACTION STUDIES INITIATED UNDER PRO AG NO 24 ON THE 3 DEMONSTRATION FARMS WILL BE CONTINUED THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT. RESULTS OF THE EVAPOTRANSPIRATION AND IRRIGATION WATER REQUIREMENT STUDIES INITIATED UNDER PRO AG 24 WILL BE PUT INTO PRACTICAL FORM TO BE USED ON A REGIONAL BASIS, AND THE IMPROVEMENT OF IRRIGATION APPLICATION EFFICIENCIES ALSO INITIATED UNDER PRO AG 24 WILL CONTINUE TO BE DEMONSTRATED AND PUT INTO PRACTICE. RESULTS OF THE INTERACTION STUDIES WHICH ARE DETERMINED TO YIELD THE OPTIMUM CROP PRODUCTION WILL BE PUT INTO PRACTICE ON THE RESEARCH/DEMONSTRATION FARMS OF PLOTS OF THE SAME SIZE AS THOSE OF THE SMALL FARMERS IN THE REGION. IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT FIELD DEMONSTRATION TRIALS WILL BE ESTABLISHED ON THE PLOTS OF AT LEAST 54 LOCAL SMALL FARMERS AND AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES. THIRTY EXTENSION BULLETINS WILL BE PREPARED COVERING ALL ASPECTS OF IMPROVED METHODS OF MANAGING IRRIGATION WATER. ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES FOR MOVING WATER WILL BE PROMOTED AND DEMONSTRATED WHEREVER FEASIBLE. PROJECT WILL BE ADMINISTERED BY THE GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF WATER RESOURCES.