FAO achieves water and energy savings and increased efficiency through programmed irrigation
Ankara – An online workshop has shared the successful results of “Efficient and Programmed Irrigation”, a recent initiative focused on achieving water and energy savings and increasing efficiency through programmed irrigation. The initiative is implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, with the participation of stakeholders, and forms part of the “Sustainable Land Management and Climate Friendly Agriculture” project, which is financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
FAO’s Agricultural Officer, Fazıl Düşünceli, who provides technical support to the project, opened the workshop by stating that the results of irrigation demonstration studies carried out in Konya and Karaman over the last two years had exceeded expectations. He expressed his gratitude to everyone who had contributed to the study.
His remarks were succeeded by Ali Kılıç Özbek, Head of Agricultural Environment and Natural Resources Protection Department, who informed the participants that water savings of up to 33% had been observed in drip irrigation demonstrations under the agricultural component of the project. This result represents an important achievement, especially in the recent context of drought and climate change impacts on the agricultural sector. Özbek also noted that Farmer Field Schools had enabled farmers to gain experience of these new practices.
More detailed information about irrigation problems in the Konya Closed Basin was then provided by Duran Yavuz and Sinan Süheri of Konya Teknokent – Selçuk University, who were responsible for conducting the field studies. They emphasized the importance of efficient water use and shared the results of the effective and programmed irrigation studies carried out for the project.
They explained that the demonstration studies were carried out by FAO during 2019-20 in the Cihanbeyli, Emirgazi, Eregli, Karapinar and Sarayonu districts of Konya, and the districts of Karaman and Ayrancı, with the cooperation of provincial directorates of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and Konya Teknokent – Selçuk University.
Corn and sugar beet drip irrigation systems were established in 28 locations and underground drip irrigation systems for apples were set up in 11 locations. Farmers in these areas received training on programmed and reduced irrigation techniques.
The results of the sugar beet and corn demonstrations, which were carried out over an area of 2.5 hectares, showed that significant gains could be achieved in terms of productivity increases and water and energy savings through the use of the programmed irrigation method.
The results averaged over the two-year period showed water savings of 25.5% and electrical energy savings of 23.2% in sugar beet, water savings of 23.5% and electric energy savings of 23.9% in corn, and water savings of 20.1% and electrical energy savings of 16.4% in corn silage – all achieved due to the substitution of traditional irrigation practices for programmed drip irrigation.
In addition to these savings, programmed irrigation applications produced higher yields in sugar beet (9.0%), corn (29.2%) and corn silage (32.9%).
These data show that the application and dissemination of programmed irrigation would produce significant savings in input usage and yield increases for farmers and the economy.
Regional and national expansion of the programmed irrigation approach – which is also a climate-friendly agricultural practice – would contribute significantly to improved water efficiency, alleviate pressure on water resources, and minimize the negative environmental impacts of agriculture through energy savings.
In the final part of the workshop, Fazıl Düşünceli provided details of demonstration and pilot studies on climate-friendly agricultural practices planned for 2021 within the framework of this project. Programmed irrigation demonstrations will continue in 12 locations for corn and sugar beet and 11 for apple.