Micro irrigation in poplar plantation (ອັຟການີດສະຖານ)

Micro irrigation canal system for supplying water to poplar plantations on sloping lands.

The Micro Irrigation system technology is documented by SLM Project/HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation with financial support of Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The presented micro-irrigation system, a structural SLM technology, was applied in Central Highland’s Province of Bamyan (Afghanistan). The micro-irrigation technology is applied to bring marginal land under cultivation for economic benefits, with the added benefit of rehabilitating degraded sloping land. The main irrigation canal also conveys water to agricultural land. It is a traditional technology applied by a land user without external support. It is also implemented by many other land users with some variations to the technology.
The technology consists of a network of main irrigation canal, secondary canals from which water is conveyed to sloping micro irrigation canals. The water reaches to the roots of each tree through infiltration/seepage.
The main canal has about 2% gradient and the micro-channels from 2-7% gradient. The slope of the site ranges between 20-40%. A micro irrigation canal is 28 m long, 15 cm wide and 10 cm deep. While the cross section remains same, the length can differ according to the land size.
The site was originally a degraded site with gravel soil. According to the land user, the site was not at all suitable for agriculture due to soil degradation and bad water shortage possibilities. Approximately 25 years after the plantation of poplar trees, the site's physical and biological conditions of the slope have improved due to the establishment of poplar trees. The poplar trees can be used for timber for construction and firewood. The poplar timber has good market in Bamyan and can fetch up to 35 USD per tree.
The micro-irrigation systems, which help establishing poplar plantations, contribute to multiple benefits for the land user's family and also the environment. As the poplar plantations are irrigated, their growth increases and their mortality, due to water shortage, is reduced.
As a result of re-vegetating the relatively steep slope, soil erosion from the site has reduced and the fertility of the soil has improved. Improved soil moisture and fertility has also helped in establishment of a good ground canopy. Many birds visit the site for shelter. The plantation has reached its harvesting stage and the land user is planning to cut the trees for sale, expecting an income of about 10,500 USD from the site.

A close look at this technology shows that the system works well and that it is easily managed by the land user. Some minor improvements, such as reducing the slope gradient of the micro-irrigation canals for reducing canal erosion, construction of pits to capture sediments at the drainage points and planting suitable grasses with good roots along the canal bunds could make the system more effective and sustainable. The measures could also help in reducing the sensitivity of the micro-irrigation canals towards intense rainfall.
The farmers are applying this SLM technology without any external financial or technical support and there is growing trend towards spontaneous adoption. According to the land user's estimate, of about 400 families in his village, 80 families have applied the technology

The basic purpose of the micro-irrigation system is to supply irrigation water to the poplar trees for reducing plant mortality and increasing plant growth.

The main establishment activities include layout of the micro canals across the sloping land using shovels and pick axe without use of any alignment equipment. Approximately 150 persons-days/ha were employed for constructing the micro-irrigation canals and 5 person-days/ha sufficed for on-site maintenance works. About 970 USD/ha was spent on the construction and most of the cost for labour was covered by the family of the owner.

The site is owned by a land user with clear land use rights. The water rights are common and organized as there is a traditional social water management institution (Mirab), which ensures an equitable distribution of irrigation water to all the farmers taking water from the main canal. A command area on a turn-by-turn basis exists. Water users pay service fees to the Mirab mostly in kind. The land users mentioned that they give about 14 kg of wheat and/or potato each year to the Mirab for this site. The land user has to also participate in main canal repair works on a voluntary basis. Bamyan Centre receives about 230 mm rainfall per year. Most of the rain falls in the months of April and May. Winters are severe with temperatures falling below minus 20 degrees. The area receives snowfall up to 180 cm per year in normal years. Bamyan center has an arid and temperate climate with one main growing season of about 6 months, which is from April to September. The plantation site is located at an altitude of about 2300 m. It is north-facing slope with a soil depth of about 30-50 cm. The soil is sandy loam with a medium soil fertility.

ສະຖານທີ່: Bamyan center, Bamyan, ອັຟການີດສະຖານ

ຈໍານວນ ພື້ນທີ່ ທີ່ໃຊ້ ເຕັກໂນໂລຢີ ທີ່ໄດ້ວິເຄາະ:

ການແຜ່ກະຈາຍຂອງເຕັກໂນໂລຢີ: ແຜ່ຂະຫຍາຍຢ່າງໄວວາໃນພື້ນທີ່ (0.16 km²)

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