Abstract:
Better yields of high-value crops are necessary for a profitable
irrigation industry in sub-Saharan Africa. We introduced two simple
tools, the Chameleon soil moisture sensor and the FullStop wetting
front detector, which represent soil water, nitrate and salt levels in
the soil by displaying different colours. These tools form the basis
of an experiential learning system for small-scale irrigators. We
found that farmers quickly learned from the tools and changed their
management within a short time. The cost of implementing a learning
system would be a small fraction of that of building or revitalizing
irrigation schemes.
Description:
The research in this article was part of the project Increasing Irrigation Water Productivity in
Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe through On-farm Monitoring, Adaptive Management and
Agricultural Innovation Platforms