Improving Productivity of Gash Agricultural Scheme through better farming practices. Amel Ahmed Ali

Improving Productivity of Gash Agricultural Scheme through better farming practices. Amel Ahmed Ali

Out line Background. Problem statement. Vision. Research question. Field works. Result. Conclusions. Acknowledgment.

Background Some 75% of the world s poorest people live in rural areas, and for them, water mean the difference between life and death. Spate irrigation was the oldest water manegment system, existed for 50-70 centuries. Livelihood for 13 million in over 20 countries. The system is eligible to semi arid and arid areas.

Con Background In Sudan some 146 200 ha is under spate irrigation in the Gash and Tokkar delta. During the rainy period, the water flow drawn off into canals and spread over the land forming a very fertile delta area, highly suitable for crop production and easily workable. Big limiting factor is the availability of the water, thereby it depends on the seasonal recharge of the Gash River.

Big issues Conflicts and poor or erratic rainfall caused widespread low crop production by 50% of 2010 s harvest (FAO, 2012). Rising cereal prices further pushed basic food stuffs beyond the reach of the poor households. The Gash Agricultural Scheme was established in the 1920's to grow cotton as cash crop, total area about 100 000 ha, only 33 000 ha is at most irrigated. This implies very efficient use of water resources The irrigation system was designed with canals capacity of 5200 m3/fed. The system was faced by major problems decline since 1970. The main crop grown in this rich and valuable piece of land is sorghum, which is locally known as Aklamoi, which is a low yielding variety and CWR is less than the capacity of the irrigation system by 50%. Water demand by 2027 was 52.6 bcm, according to MOIWR.

The vision of this research is to improve livelihood of the local communities in GAS through better farming practices.

What is the current agricultural production and productivity under existing farming system? To what extent can agricultural production and productivity be increased through: Existing system A. Better crop packages and soil moisture conservation. B. Better farming practices and cropping calendar.

Pre irrigation Ridge Disc plough Irrigation method in Degain Sowing Crops Harvesting

Field work Two months of field work were done throughout the Gash project started in November 2011. total area irrigable area farmers area for each farmer irrigation efficiency land use soils and crop types, varieties,...etc Climatic data were collected from Kassala Station, River Floods behavior, by Gash Training management and Irrigation diversion. Visits: Elgira gauge station, IFAD office.gas and ARC to pull together their works and plans.

Gravimetric soil sampling

ARC Recommendations Scarifying machine is a field cultivator and singleacting disc harrowing was recommended by (Khalid, 2008) in Gash Delta. Since 2005 up to now numerous crop types and varieties were recommended for production in Gash Delta like (Cotton, Sorghum, Hibiscus, Sunflower, Groundnut, Maize, Sesame, Watermelon and Guar). Crop technical packages such as (land preparation, sowing date, seed rate and harvesting methods) to maintain high productivity in Gash Delta was also recommended.

RESULTS Field cultivator Scarifying ARC field

80 Max Temp Min Temp C0 RH% Wind Speed m/sec Sun Shine.hrs Et0 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Jan Feb Mar April May June July August Sept Oct Nov Dec Monthes METROLOGICAL DATA

1240 1385 1432 1044. 1006 1450 1034,25 1075 1073,369336 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Annual total flow Mm 3 Years ElGeira Kassala bridge FLOODS BEHAVIOUR

Area/fed Yield Sacks/fed 200000 12 proposed area irrigated cultivated Productivity 10 8 6 4 2 0 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 Years 0 PRODUCTIVITY

CWR mm/dec 70 1ist rotation Sec rotation 60 50 3200m 3 /fed 40 4600m 3 /fed 30 20 10 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Decades Crop Water Requirements

SMC% Gravimetric Soil Moisture Content % 16,0 Tail mid bigin 14,0 12,0 10,0 104.3 mm 88.2 mm 72.4 mm 8,0 6,0 4,0 2,0 0,0 20 40 60 80 100 Depth cm Ksr Rpakasa

SMC% 35,0 tail mid big 30,0 25,0 212.2mm 20,0 135mm 140.8mm 15,0 10,0 5,0 0,0 20 40 60 80 100 Depth/cm Rpakasa 3

SMC% SMC% 18,0 16,0 14,0 14,0 12,0 12,0 big tail mid 91.9mm 91.9mm 88.9mm 88.9mm 10,0 10,0 8,0 8,0 6,0 6,0 4,0 4,0 2,0 2,0 0,0 0,0 81.5mm 81.5mm 20 40 60 80 100 Depth/cm 20 40 60 80 100 Depth/cm TGRRAR 1

SMC% 40,0 35,0 Fota extention Tggrar 14 190.2 mm 228.3mm 30,0 25,0 20,0 15,0 10,0 5,0 0,0 20 40 60 80 100 Depth/cm TGRRAR 14 & FOTTA EXTENSION

No.of farmers EDUCATION Gender No.of farmers yield sacks/fed Data analysis 30 Grain yield Fodders 67% Sorghum var 25 25 20 18 16 Education MEN 50% Yield sacks/fed 120% 20 20 16 14 100% 14 12 15% 33% 15 15 12 10 10 8 100% 35% 80% 60% 10 10 8 5 6 4 6 4 40% 5 2 2 20% 0 0 0Aklamoi Grain yield Fodders Tabbat primary secondary No 0% 0

Feed back The high water holding capacity of Gash soils with the high level of water table, which supplement the extracted moisture by the crop (evapotranspiration process) through capillary rise. The beginning of the Misga receives abundant water, while the opposite in the rest of the Misga. Cash Crops like ( maize, cotton, in the beginning while the sorghum in the mid or tail of the misga. Farmers can divide their area between sorghum (Aklamoi and Tabbat) and other recommended crops.as well can grow other crops after harvesting to achieve high water productivity and save water. Using Ridger (80 cm between rows) can increase the productivity 30% compared to disc plough (160 cm between rows).due to low evaporation.

When farmers cultivate their areas in November as second course rotation can cultivate crops with high productivity such Water Melon. with less yield reductions. Expanding irrigated land,thereby decrease water duration to the misga than 20 days with out high yield reduction. Moisture conservation method like mulching or light layers of soil needed. Communicate with farmer out side the region to transfer their experience is required.

WE NEED TO DO MORE THAN JUST STARE AT THE PROBLEM!

ACKNOWLEDGMENT