Irrigation has been instrumental in helping farmers worldwide increase their crop yields through various means. This is because irrigation can provide producers with consistent water supply, which may be absent during unfavourable weather conditions.

This consistent supply leads to an increase in crop yields. Irrigation ensures a reliable and consistent water supply, reducing dependence on erratic rainfall patterns. This stability allows crops to grow more predictably and robustly, leading to higher yields.

With irrigation, farmers can also extend their growing seasons beyond the traditional rainy season, allowing for multiple cropping cycles per year. This can significantly increase the annual output of crops.

Irrigation also allows for improved water efficiency, helping farmers conserve water and even save on related costs.

While it remains difficult for some smaller farmers to adopt irrigation techniques and technologies, there are some that have done so successfully. In countries like India and China, this adoption has been particularly successful.

India

India has a long history of irrigation, with some literature claiming that farmers in the country were using irrigation as far back as the 12th century. However, the adoption of modern irrigation technology has been somewhat slow in India.

Despite this, the country has made great strides since the 2000s to adopt modern techniques and technologies, much to the benefit of its small-scale farmers, particularly in states like Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the Indian government launched several initiatives to improve irrigation infrastructure as part of its five-year plan. Major irrigation projects, including the construction of dams and canals like the Bhakra Nangal Dam and the Hirakud Dam, were undertaken during this period to enhance water availability for agriculture.

The Green Revolution, which began in the late 1960s and continued throughout the 1970s and 1980s, also saw the adoption of modern irrigation techniques. It is during this period that the use of tube wells and pump sets began to be used for irrigation.

It is reported that, during the Green Revolution, wheat and rice production saw yield increases of up to 200% due to the adoption of irrigation and use of fertilisers.

In the 1980s to 1990s, drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation systems started to gain popularity, particularly in water-scarce regions. These methods helped improve water-use efficiency and supported the cultivation of high-value crops.

In the 2000s, there has been a greater emphasis on micro-irrigation (drip and sprinkler) systems.

Irrigation in India includes both major and minor canals from Indian rivers, tanks, and other rainwater-harvesting projects for agricultural activities.

According to Vedantu, an engineerig services company based in Bengaluru, 67% of the country’s irrigation water is taken from groundwater wells.

Rice and sugar cane are reportedly the crops mostly grown under irrigation there. However, the majority of crop production is still on dryland.

India’s Economic Survey of 2018 showed that only around 34,5% of cropland in the country was under irrigation.

As such, there is still room for further expansion of irrigation in India, which would benefit farmers even more.

China

In China, the expansion of irrigation infrastructure has significantly increased agricultural productivity. Small-scale farmers, especially in regions like the North China Plain and the Yangtze River Delta, have seen substantial gains in crop yields due to improved water-management practices.

According to an article titled ‘Mapping 20 years of irrigated croplands in China using MODIS and statistics and existing irrigation products’, published by the journal Nature, irrigated croplands account for half of the total cropland area in China and produce about 75% of food and more than 90% of industrial crops.

The World Bank explains that over the past 50 years, the Chinese government has made significant investments in water management and infrastructure, which has led to significant achievements in water supply and irrigation.

China’s history of irrigation spans thousands of years, and some of the country’s earliest irrigation schemes are still being used to irrigate crops today.

News agency Xinhua says the Qimenyan Irrigation System in Anhui Province, first established in the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC to 25 AD) has played a major role in irrigation, flood control and drought prevention for over 2 000 years. It still irrigates about 13 000ha of crops.

“The Hongze Lake Irrigation System in eastern Jiangsu Province is a water-storage irrigation area,” Xinhua says. “Since the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 BC to 220 AD), ancient people have diverted water for irrigation and farming. The irrigation system nowadays keeps irrigating farmland.”

Finally, the Huoquan Spring Irrigation System in northern Shanxi Province has a history of 1 400 years. “The irrigation projects still play a role in irrigation, water supply, ecology and tourism,” it adds.

According to the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, micro-irrigation systems, such as surface drip irrigation, subsurface drip irrigation, bubble irrigation and microsprinkler irrigation, as well as various levels of automation, are used in China. These systems were first used in China in 1974.

The commission adds that there were many problems with the adoption of these irrigation systems, such as the high cost and malfunctioning of technology, but it has led to significant improvements in crop production across China.

In regions like Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia, the adoption of drip irrigation for fruits and vegetables has led to yield increases of 30% to 50%. This includes crops like tomatoes, melons and grapes.

Maize and wheat production have seen yield increases of between 20% and 30%. This is particularly evident in water-scarce areas where traditional flood irrigation is less efficient.

In Xinjiang, which is a major cotton-producing region, the use of drip irrigation has increased cotton yields by 30% to 40%.

Other countries like Ethiopia, Vietnam, Morocco and Peru have seen similar successes in terms of yield improvement, thanks to the adoption of irrigation.

Small-scale farmers and irrigation

Small-scale farmers often face challenges that prevent them from adopting irrigation methods or technologies, and adoption of these technologies remains relatively low among them. But when they use irrigation, small-scale farmers are likely to see a significant increase in crop yields.

The installation of irrigation systems requires a significant initial investment in equipment, pipes, pumps and other infrastructure. Small-scale farmers often have limited access to credit and financial resources, making it challenging for them to afford the upfront costs of modern irrigation systems.

In addition, many small-scale farmers lack the technical knowledge and skills needed to install, operate and maintain irrigation systems effectively. There may also be a lack of extension services and training programmes available to educate these farmers about the benefits and proper use of irrigation technologies.

The cost of an irrigation system does not end after installation, as they require regular maintenance and operational expenses, including energy costs for pumping water, which can be burdensome for small-scale farmers who have limited financial resources.

The cost of repairing and replacing components of irrigation systems can also be prohibitively high for them.

These farmers often operate on fragmented and small land holdings, making it less economical to invest in sophisticated irrigation systems that are more cost-effective on larger scales.

In addition, many of do not necessarily own the land on which they farm, giving them less incentive to invest in agricultural equipment.

Furthermore, the economic returns from investing in irrigation may not be immediately apparent, and small-scale farmers may be reluctant to take on the financial risk without a guarantee of increased income, largely because they are not necessarily in a position to take on such risk.

Addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted approach, including improving access to financing, providing technical training and support, ensuring reliable water supplies, and creating favourable policy environments to encourage the adoption of irrigation methods among small-scale farmers.

This is where government must step in. In terms of crop production, it may be hard for a small-scale farmers to achieve commercial success without irrigation technologies, particularly in drier areas.