Tag Archive for: irrigation

Photo Credit: The African

Smallholder farmers face agricultural productivity challenges in the areas of under-investment in R&D; the actual processes of agricultural research and communication; access and utilization of agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilizer, agrochemicals, etc. by farmers; and accurate information on field production practices. On the other hand, success stories of the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to minimize each of these challenges are being documented across the globe and the potential for increasing the impact of ICTs on agricultural production is huge.

As the first in the 3-piece series on “Mapping ICT Solutions along the Agricultural Value Chain”, this post explains how ICT solutions are being used or can be used by value chain actors within the productivity segment of the value chain. ICT solutions in this category may support value chain actors who are involved in agricultural research and development, input manufacture and supply, extension, and production for increased access to information and knowledge for agricultural production.

Potential ICT Solutions for Agricultural Research and Development (R&D)

Agricultural R&D is a key component of the value chain and in most developing nations, has great limitation due to poor access to the global knowledge pool by the developing nations researchers. ICT solutions in this sub-category may support the work of agricultural researchers, agricultural science students, extension staffs, and farmers to facilitate access to scientific knowledge, exchange of information between and among them.

Examples of ICT solutions identified include mobile applications such as the i) OakMapper, a mobile application which allows users to submit occurrences of Sudden Oak Death (SOD), search for incidents, and to report them to the geospatial enabled database; ii) Rural Universe Network (RUNetwork), a network of several partners in the Caribbean to help improve the availability of local knowledge and information through the development of a rural communication system; iii) eRails, a free website for partners across Africa working in the area of agriculture and rural development to help them share their new innovations; iv) AGORA and TEEAL by FAO and Cornell University respectively helping to increase access of developing nations researchers and academics to scientific journals to facilitate their research work.

Photo Credit: Thulasy Balasubramaniam and Graham Lettner

Potential ICT Solutions for Access to Agricultural Inputs 

Increased access to inputs such as seed, animal feed, fertilizer, machinery, financial support, insurance, and irrigation systems at the right time, the right price, and in the right amounts is key for successful production by farmers. Actors within this segment are mostly private sector and for-profit firms that need to be in constant communication with the smallholder farmers to ensure profitable investment. Communication tools are important for continuous flow of information between these partners to be able to develop the right input that works for the farmers. At the same time, input manufacturers and suppliers are expected to collaborate with researchers who test these inputs for their suitability for farmers to help in commercialization and scaling up promising agricultural technologies that could benefit smallholder farmers.

ICT solutions within this category may support activities of input manufacturers, suppliers, and users for timely, more efficient and effective use of these agricultural inputs. Some of the ICT applications identified include the use of i) E-Voucher system in Zambia to facilitate easy access to inputs by farmers, help involve the private sector, and reduce fraud in the delivery of these inputs; ii) the Agrian Mobile Information Center, a mobile app that allows users to access product information while in the field, search by product name, active ingredients, signal word, etc. and iii) Kilimo Salama, an input insurance system in Kenya for farmers as they purchase inputs for their farms.

Potential ICT Solutions for Agricultural Production

Apart from inputs and other new technologies from research, farmers put in a lot of resources and efforts into the actual production process on the field. Smallholder farmers across the globe are known for their innovative activities in the face of limited access to scientific knowledge and resources for production. Information communication technologies can play significant role in either way – connecting them to scientific resources and information and also link these farmers together to share their indigenous knowledge and experiences acquired over the years. ICT solutions in this sub-category may help in communicating information to support field activities by farmers such as weather, pest and diseases, soil nutrient levels, harvesting practices, gestation cycles, and knowledge sharing among farming communities.

Photo Credit: FAO

Some of the tools identified within this group include i) Crop Calendar, an online resource created by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which provides timely information about seeds to promote local crop production by farmers; ii) iCow, a voice-based mobile application that prompts cattle farmers on vital days of cows gestation period; iii) NEXT2, a geo-social application that is able to connect farmers with similar interest that are geographically co-located through SMS, voice, or mobile web to share local knowledge, expertise and experiences; and iv) a host of traditional radio programs that are assisting farmers’ production activities.

In concluding this piece, it is clear that the huge potential of the new digital network for agricultural productivity is yet to be fully exploited for smallholder farmers. The technologies are affecting the work of agricultural researchers, extension workers, input manufacturers and distributors, private sector organizations interested in partnering with governments to improve agriculture, and some farmers at the remotest communities. But stakeholders need to devise better strategies for fully integrating these solutions into their projects.

This is the first in a 3-part series that explains the role of ICTs within the three major stages of the agricultural value chain – Productivity, Marketing, & Monitoring and Evaluation. We’ll soon be launching a dynamic and interactive version of “Apps4Ag Database” project on March 9th during GBI’s TechTalk:Mapping ICTs Along the Ag Value Chain.

Photo Credit: NanoGanesh

Nano Ganesh is an innovation that is helping smallholder farmers across two Indian states to remotely turn their irrigation pumps ‘on’ and ‘off’ using their mobile phones. In an industry dominated by ringtones and games, this is a welcome move towards technology that serves development, said Vineeta Dixit, a principal consultant at the e-Governance Division of the Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Communications and IT, India.

Nano Ganesh is a GSM Mobile based remote control system exclusively for the use with water pump sets in agricultural areas. A farmer can control the pumps from any distance; check an availability of power supply at the pump end; acknowledge the on/off status of the water pump; and in some models, get alerts through calls if there is a theft attempt of the cable or pump.

The need for Nano Ganesh arose from the routine problems faced by farmers in operating irrigation pumps. In India and other parts of the developing world, a farmer may have to travel miles to turn on a water pump, and stay on the farm until irrigation is complete before returning – at any hour of the day, often late at night or early in the morning. There are, fluctuations in power supply, difficult terrains, fear of wild and dangerous animals on the way to pumps, hazardous locations of the pumps along the river or water storage beds, shock hazards, rains etc.

The clip below summarizes information on the application:

 

The technology requires a mobile connection and phone, along with a mobile modem that attaches to the starter on the irrigation pump. Using the phone, an assigned code number switches the pump’s starter off and on, and a particular tone signals the off/on status of the pump and the electrical supply at the pump location.

The application which was developed by Ossian Agro Automation, has been selected for recognition as a laureate in the Economic Development category for 2011, by The Tech Awards, The Tech Museum at San Jose, CA, USA. Currently, there are over 10 000 installations across the operational states in India.

Climate change is already posing challenges to agricultural productivity worldwide, and the sector is likely to encounter severe water woes as this intensifies. However, water management, which is crucial for sustainable agriculture, improved rural livelihoods and food security, has not yet been sufficiently harnessed and employed across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Consequently, immense opportunities for growth and economic

Picture showing an irrigation system- green plants being watered.

Credit: A Guide To Irrigation Methods — Irrigation Systems

advancement are being missed. Proper irrigation is vital for sustained agricultural growth, according to the FAO. The UN agency says efficient irrigation practices could result in increased crop yields of up to 400%. Yet, farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa, who are most dependent on rainfall, are hamstrung by a landscape with the fewest rainfall monitoring stations in the world, which are also complicated to read. This challenge is compounded by an unreliable climate information dissemination mechanism.

But, as with all challenges in the sector, new technologies are emerging that could provide better information for planning. Rainwatch, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) funded climate information system, seems set to help West African farmers, in particular, to overcome their water management challenges.

NOAA says Rainwatch uses GIS to “monitor monsoon rainfall and tracks season rainfall attributes”. It automatically streamlines rainfall data management, processing and visualization. The user-firendly tool has interactive faces, symbols and self-explanatory names. This simplicity eliminates the need for external assistance, including satellite information, to make use of the tool.

The successful 2009 piloting of the project, coupled with the abundant returns to farmers in Niger last year, a country with chronic water management issues, shows that there is great potential behind scaling-up this project. A key challenge will be getting farmers to use the technology, but the demonstrable benefits will prove to be a strong selling point.

The NOAA funded project received support from the African Center of Meteorological Applications for Development and CIMMS.

Consistent with the view that the crafting and implementation of bold and strategic ICT policies is key for sustained agricultural development in the developing world, I have pointed out the need for improved policy frameworks in a range of countries. However, it is also important to commend those developing states that continue to make progress in this regard. Tanzania’s national e-government policy is one such example. This policy framework has enabled the Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MoWI) to develop a long-term ICT strategy, which includes using GIS, radio and cell phones, to deliver irrigation and water services.

Picture showing an irrigation system- green plants being watered.

A Guide To Irrigation Methods — Irrigation Systems

The nascent strategy aims to achieve two pivotal things by 2014. First, it intends to help managers and engineers identify areas suitable for and in need of irrigation. The lack of reliable information and poor data collection processes has been a key challenge. To combat this, MoWI’s ICT strategy paves the way for the use of remote sensing and GIS technology to gather information on soil quality and available water resources. According to Daily News Online, Joash Nytambehead, head of the ICT unit at MoWI, says a system has been developed to capture data on all water points in the country. It involves visits to water points where GPS receivers are used to record and later collate coordinates. This is being complemented by efforts to map cellphone and internet connectivity, and access to traditional ICTs such as radio, across the east-African country.

Cellphones are currently being used by field officers to collect and instantaneously relay data on the condition of pumps and the types of crops being grown, which promises to strengthen the planning process. Managers will be better able to make use of GIS and field information to efficiently determine priority sites and the nature of irrigation systems that are needed. This is a major positive development because integrated water management is lacking in Sub-Saharan Africa, the region with the greatest dependence on rainfall, yet home to poor water management procedures and irrigation services.

The second and equally essential aim of Tanzania’s ICT strategy is that it should enable the state to efficiently inform the population about efforts to improve irrigation services. This is crucial because too often great projects flop when intended beneficiaries are left in the dark. The efforts to map mobile and internet connectivity, as well as, access to radio and other traditional ICTs, will allow the state to plot who may be target via the web, text massaging versus radio/TV programs and PSAs. This strategy is also expected to pave the way for streamlining services across offices and departments involved in the project.

While not a panacea, this policy position is a bold step in the right direction. The mix of ICTs that are being used to improve Tanzanian’s access to irrigation services is relevant and culturally appropriate.

 

 


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