Farmer-participatory evaluation of the wetting and drying (AWD) water saving technology n Southern Laos

Abstract

Traditional lowland rice production in Asia requires much water and consumes more than 50% of all irrigation water. In Lao PDR, like other rice producing countries in Asia, water resources are becoming increasingly scarce due to effect of climate change and increasing competition on the use of water between sectors. Consequently, there is a need to develop alternative rice production systems that require less water and increase the water productivity. Alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation in rice is a mature technology that decreases water use by 15 – 30% without reducing yields. AWD has been widely adopted in China and is becoming a recommended practice in water-scarce irrigated areas in South and Southeast Asia. In Lao PDR, AWD methodologies were introduced 2011 and 2012 at demonstration sites in the south of the country: Champone District in Savannakhet Province and Soukhuma District in Champassak Province. This paper discusses the results of the AWD demonstration trials of irrigated dry season rice production and attempts to determine farmers’ perceptions of AWD as an effective water-saving technology. Results indicated that yields between AWD trial plots and neighbouring farmers’ fields were similar, while water input was 19 – 25% lower than that of farmers fields. The positive results of the AWD trials (both physical benefits of using less water with the same yield and positive perception by the farmers) through farmer- participatory development and extension activities employed in this study to demonstrate the benefits of AWD can be translated into a blueprint to guide dissemination activities of AWD in lowland irrigated areas in the country. However, the speed and extent of adoption may depend very much on the long-term commitments of the country’s extension systems, including DAFO and PAFO offices