 | Irrigation Training Manual: Planning, Design, Operation and Management of Small-Scale Irrigation Systems (Peace Corps, 1994, 151 p.) |
 |  | Training session |
| | Section 7: Farm water management |
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(introduction...)
* Basic Concepts in Farm Water Management Basic Soil and
Water Conservation Practices
* Developing Irrigation
Schedules
* Evaluation, Operation, and Maintenance
*Exam:
Section 7 (Developing Farm Management Plans)
Session Topic: Basic Concepts in Farm Water Management
Session Goal: Trainees will identify the constraints faced by farmers and the factors that irrigators can apply to achieve optimum results from irrigation.
Session Objectives:
(1) Trainees will identify the benefits that result from good farm water management.
(2) Trainees will list the constraints typically encountered by farmers in improving management practices.
(3) Trainees will identify practices that a farmer can use to improve results from irrigation.
Overview: This session encourages Trainees to begin thinking of irrigation in the context of complete farm systems, from water source to crop yield. Trainees will identify benefits, constraints, and management possibilities important in developing appropriate management practices.
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Session Activities: | |
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Time | |
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30 Min. |
Trainees will list the benefits of proper irrigation system management and identify problems that can arise from poor management practices. |
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30 Min. |
Trainer facilitates a role play in which three to four Trainees represent local farmers, and one to two Trainees represent irrigation Volunteers offering extension advice. The "farmers" should describe some of the constraints they face in just getting out a crop or two. The "extension workers" should try to work within these constraints to come up with an agreeable strategy for incorporating better management practices into the farmers routines, without putting an excess stress into the farmers' lives. |
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120 Min. |
Trainer leads Trainees into the field and informs them that they will conduct a farm reconnaissance to (a) interview the farmer and identify the basic practices being used on the farm, (b) establish the physical makeup of the farmer's irrigation system, and (c) complete an analysis of the farm, complete with recommendations for ways to improve farm water management. Trainer divides the group in half, and each group works with a separate farm to complete the assigned tasks. |
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45 Min. |
Trainees reconvene and present their findings. The groups provide feedback to each other, and the trainer advises Trainees that they will repeat this exercise in the training, although next time they will have to present their findings directly to the farmer. |
Trainer Notes: Trainer should locate potential farm evaluation sites that reflect both good and poor management practices. Trainer(s) should meet with farmers before the session and make certain they will be comfortable working with the Trainees in this exercise.
Materials Required:
* any tools the Trainees feel they need
* notebook
References:
Chapter 6, Irrigation Reference Manual: On-Farm Water Management International Irrigation Center Module #40
Session Topic: Basic Soil and Water Conservation Practices
Session Goal: For Trainees to describe the criteria used when applying a variety of techniques that can promote soil and water conservation.
Session Objectives:
(1) For Trainees to determine when erosion controls are needed.
(2) For Trainees to describe criteria for evaluating and selecting the most appropriate erosion control measures for a given site.
(3) For Trainees to design and construct a bench terrace and a gabion.
Overview: Controlling erosion is a major concern for all agriculture Volunteers. Sediment loads can clog ponds, reservoirs, and canals. Soil loss can limit the productivity of agricultural fields. This session provides Trainees with an opportunity to apply some of the basic concepts covered in the session on watershed hydrology.
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Session Activities: | |
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Time | |
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45 Min. |
Session can begin in the field with trainer reviewing some of the concepts covered in the watershed hydrology sessions. Trainer should walk with Trainees through a hilly, but cultivated area of a watershed to point out evidence of different erosion processes and describe the erosion processes occurring. Trainees are asked to list factors influencing soil loss. |
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60 Min. |
Trainees are divided into groups of three. One group constructs a runoff plot with pin and washer and demonstrates its use for estimating soil loss. Other groups should practice building small check dams using brush materials and demonstrate dams' use for slowing runoff and encouraging infiltration and vegetative recovery of the gully. |
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20 Min. |
Trainees remain in groups of three and use their A-frame level to delineate two contours along the hillside spaced approximately 15 meters apart |
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2-3 Hr. |
Trainees reconvene and review the principles for constructing a bench terrace. Trainees now divide into two groups. Each group selects one of the contour lines and constructs approximately 2-3 horizontal meters of a bench terrace with a 2-3 meter base. |
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25 Min. |
Trainee groups present their completed terrace section and describe the experience. Trainees discuss the advantages and disadvantages of terracing and other soil conservation measures and indicate the concerns that farmers are likely to have about incorporating these measures into their daily agricultural practices. Trainees identify strategies they might use to increase farmer incentives to apply soil conservation techniques. |
Trainer Notes: Doing this session in the field should make the concepts of erosion and soil conservation much easier for Trainees to grasp. The actual soil conservation techniques covered should be largely dictated by in-country conditions and common practices.
Materials Required:
* A-frame
* axe, machete, shovels, picks, rake, tamper
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hand or Abney level
* large pins or stakes, washers
* stakes, string
*
twine or rope
References:
Chapter 2, Irrigation Reference Manual: Soil and Water Conservation Practices
International Irrigation Center Module #19
Crozier, C. 1986. Soil Conservation Techniques for Hillside Farms. Peace Corps Information Collection and Exchange. Reprint Series No. R-62. 96 p.
Gil, N. 1985. Watershed Development with Special Reference to Soil and Water Conservation. FAO Soils Bulletin 44. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome. 243 p.
Weidelt, H.J. (ed). 1984. Manual of Reforestation and Erosion Control for the Philippines. German Agency for Technical Cooperation. Reprinted by Peace Corps Information Collection and Exchange, Washington, D.C. pp. 393-491.
Session Topic: Developing Irrigation Schedules
Session Goal: Trainees will be able to evaluate the factors that define a farmer's irrigation schedule and will obtain experience in developing simple schedules.
Session Objectives:
(1) Trainees will identify the factors that determine when and how much water to apply before, during, and after the crop season.
(2) Trainees will define the concepts of net irrigation need, allowable moisture depletion, irrigation interval, net depth of application, gross depth of application, and irrigation duration.
(3) Trainees will determine appropriate allowable soil moisture depletion, irrigation intervals, net application depths, gross application depths, and irrigation duration for local crops, soils, and conditions
(4) Trainees will identify the soil moisture levels in a soil and define the time to irrigate using the "feel" method in the field.
Overview: The Trainee must be able to determine appropriate irrigation intervals and amounts, evaluate soil moisture deficits in the field, and determine the time to irrigate in order to improve the efficiency and productivity of irrigated fields. This session builds on information developed during the Assessing Irrigation Water Requirements training sessions and forms a foundation of effective farm management.
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Session Activities: | |
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Time | |
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75 Min. |
Trainees will describe and summarize the factors that affect when and how much water a farmer will apply. They will base this analysis on their recent work in the sessions on Assessing Irrigation Water Requirements and Farm Water Delivery Systems. The trainer should help them refer back to these sessions often if they are not making the link on their own. The trainer will then present the terms: net irrigation need, allowable moisture depletion, irrigation interval, net application depth, gross application depth, and irrigation duration. Trainees will develop definitions for these concepts and attempt to explain them graphically. Trainer will then work through a simple example of how to apply these concepts. Trainer will provide local data, and the Trainees will individually complete the calculations necessary to develop a simple irrigation schedule. |
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45 Min. |
Trainer will take Trainees to the field where they will use the "feel" method to practice evaluating soil moisture and estimating the time to irrigate. By the end of this exercise, the Trainees will be able to estimate soil moisture conditions confidently and apply this information to the preparation of irrigation schedules. |
Trainer Notes: For the field exercise, the trainers should select irrigated farms with different soil textures and management practices.
Materials Required:
* local crop and climate information
* soil auger and
shovel
* soil moisture "feel" chart
* calculators
References:
Chapter 6, Irrigation Reference Manual: Farm Irrigation Scheduling
International Irrigation Center Modules #2, #3, #8- #11, and #39
Session Topic: Evaluation, Operation, and Maintenance
Session Goal: Trainees will conduct a rapid appraisal of farm irrigation systems, including canals and conveyance structures, and make recommendations for improvement.
Session Objectives:
(1) Trainees will evaluate a farm irrigation system to determine whether the farmer is applying water at the correct intervals and application depths, with adequate uniformity and without excessive runoff or erosion concerns.
(2) Trainees will evaluate the conditions of the farmer's canals, structures, and irrigation systems, and make suggestions for improvements.
Overview: Dramatic improvements in yields and water savings often result from slight improvements in management. Simple evaluations of the physical system and its operation are the key to improving the on-farm performance. This session enables Trainees to consolidate and apply concepts developed in several earlier sessions in the sections on Assessing Irrigation Water Requirements and Farm Water Delivery Systems. Trainees will be able to determine how all of the different practices link together to guide comprehensive on-farm water management.
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Session Activities: | |
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Time | |
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30 Min. |
Trainer will lead Trainees into the field where they will define the methods that can be used for rapid appraisal and evaluation of irrigation systems and the types of changes that farmers can apply. |
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60 Min. |
Trainer has Trainees observe, evaluate, and develop recommendations for improving the operation and maintenance procedures being used by the farmer. This will include measuring flow rates and studying soil conditions. |
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60 Min. |
After the Trainees have confidently determined their recommendations for improvement, they will select one or two representatives from their group to meet with the farmer and communicate their recommendations. These representatives should record the farmer's responses and describe their experience to the full group. |
Trainer Notes: While it is certainly preferable for all of the Trainees to gain the experience of communicating their findings to the farmer, it would be overwhelming for a farmer to have to meet with an entire group. The Trainees should carefully select their representative(s), and be certain that consensus has been reached in the operation and maintenance improvements they will be recommending. For their part, the Trainees' representative(s) should be careful to identify the constraints, operating criteria, and options under which the farmer operates.
Materials Required:
* 30 meter tape
* flow measuring device
* stopwatch
*
soil auger, shovel
References:
Chapter 6, Irrigation Reference Manual: Evaluation of Existing Irrigation Systems; Training Small-Scale Farmers in Irrigation Management International Irrigation Center Modules #33-#37, and #40
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