Rice irrigation water management

After listing the benefits of improved water management on rice production (e.g., enabling farmers to grow rice and other upland crops during the dry season, reducing conflicts over water supplies), the report describes both the climatic and resources conditions needed for optimum rice production and the traditional practices of rice cultivation such as land preparation and leveling and rice planting; particular attention is given to water application (paddy-to-paddy flow during the wet and dry seasons) and the relation of paddy flow to land use. After noting the importance of community- and government-based irrigation organizations in allocating water supplies (especially in Asian countries, where reservoirs are lacking), the report concludes by discussing key problems affecting the management of water for rice agriculture in Asia - water control, the maintenance of channel banks, construction and maintenance financing, farmer participation, and farmer adherence to the rules established by irrigation organizations.