Comparison of practices

Use of water resources

• Use of water resources
• Use of land resources

Country: Tajikistan

Province: Khatlon Region

District: Jilikul

Country: Kazakhstan

Province: Almaty region

District: Karasay District

• Located in the valley part of the Vakhsh River Basin (river catchment area);
• Deep (below 3 meters) ground water occurrence;
• Middle loamy soils.

Foothill zone in southeastern Kazakhstan, dark-chestnut and middle loamy soils

Start date: 01.04.2010

End date: 31.10.2011

Start date: 01.01.2014

End date: 31.12.2016

Uneven distribution of irrigation water, lack of water accounting means to ensure observance of recommended irrigation norms for cotton

Irrigation-associated soil erosion, low efficiency of applied watering techniques, poor phytosanitary condition of land used for vegetable growing

Tubular water outlet flowmeter

Technique and technology of mist sprinkling irrigation

Actions:

- Construction of tubular water outlet flowmeter with removable nozzles (procurement of polyethylene piping to make tubular water outlets and matching nozzles);
- Installation of tubular water outlet flowmeter along temporary sprinklers. 

Results:

Financial and economic:

saving of irrigation water; low cost of irrigation system automation (total kit cost: $500/ha) with the service life of 5 years. 

Technical:

simple design allowing a more even distribution of irrigation water stream among furrows, thus, ensuring the prescribed water supply mode.

Social:

improved working conditions of irrigators; lower labor needs/costs; enhanced mutual trust among farmers and water users.

Actions:

A sprinkler (artificial rain irrigation) system installed consisting of 50 mm diameter polyethylene pipes assembled from 10-12 meter segments (5022 SD sprinkler; 3.5 bar pressure; 3.5 mm nozzles; water consumption of 0.87 m3/hour; water distribution area per 1 sprinkler – 12 m).

Results:

Financial and economic:
Compared to ridge-and-furrow watering method, sprinkler irrigation led to a yield increase for the following crops:
• carrots – 15.64%,
• cabbage – 12.78%,
• sweet pepper – 14.19%.

Technical:
• up to 20% reduced irrigation water consumption,
• prevention of irrigation-induced soil erosion,
• improved phytosanitary condition of vegetable fields.

Lessons learnt:

Installation and deployment of tubular water outlet flowmeter allows to improve the uniformity of irrigation stream’s distribution among furrows and conduct irrigation water accounting.

Recommendations:

It is necessary to widely use the small-scale irrigation automation means like the tubular water outlet flowmeters which have simple design, are convenient to operate, are low-cost and mobile and ensure supply of the prescribed amount of irrigation water.

Lessons learnt:
The practice demonstrated the possibility of effec-tive water use, reducing labor costs, and increasing yields of several horticultural crops simultaneously.

Recommendations:
Widespread introduction of sprinkler-based mist irrigation systems along with drip irrigation and other advanced water-efficient technologies is necessary. In order to ensure that, water users should have strong financial incentives to facilitate water saving.

Domestic tools (outcomes of research by domestic R&D organizations)

• Domestic tools (outcomes of research by domestic R&D organizations),
• Foreign tools (transfer of foreign experience)

1. Cost of implementation: High

2. Approximate cost of investment per 1 ha:

3. O&M costs: High

4. Expert support: Not needed

1. Cost of implementation: High

2. Approximate cost of investment per 1 ha:

3. O&M costs: High

4. Expert support: Not needed

Project title: Watering technology based on tubular water outlet flowmeters.

Project duration: Apr 2010-Oct 2011.

Project goal and objectives: development and deployment of a crop watering technology for dekhan farms of the Republic of Tajikistan allowing to significantly increase the efficiency of water use.

Project beneficiaries: members of “Istikol” WUA (Water User Association).

Project implementer: Institute of Water Issues, Hydropower and Ecology of the Academy of Sciences of the RTj

Report by the Innovation Technology Department of the IWIHE of the AS of the RTj, Dushanbe, 2012, 45 p.

The PhD thesis “Efficiency of mist (sprinkler) irriga-tion technology for vegetable crops in southeastern Kazakhstan” describing a vegetable (cabbage, carrots, sweet pepper) cultivation technology based on fine sprinkling irrigation developed for the first time for soil and climatic conditions of foothill zone in southeastern Kazakhstan, including an optimal mode of vegetables irrigation via fine overhead sprinkler-based irrigation was developed, as well as analyzing the effects of sprinkler irrigation on biomass formation and crops capacity.

SIC ICWC

SIC ICWC