Sociological evaluation of the on-farm irrigation practices introduced in Kafr El-Sheikh

The practices tested were precision land leveling, irrigation system design (long furrows and border irrigation), irrigation scheduling, field drain elimination, marwa improvement techniques, and specific plant and crop practices. This report presents the farmers" evaluation of each of these practices. Fifty-four farmer programs were conducted in a six-season time span (summer season 1980 to winter season 1983). The package of practices introduced by EWUP generally provided an increase in crop yield for the farmers, but the farmers have not accepted all of the practices; some are too expensive and cannot be supported by the existing institutional setting, some are not applicable in the field, and others are not seen by the farmers as appropriate to their present situations. While the practices themselves have demonstrated a positive effect on yields, the questions regarding farmers" ability to adopt the practices as presented by EWUP still remain to be pursued. (Author abstract)