Irrigated Vegetable Production and Conservation Practices ... · Irrigated Vegetable Production and...
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Acknowledgements
Conclusion
Introduction
Objectives
Methodology
Results
Irrigated Vegetable Production and Conservation Practices for Improved Food Security in CARICOM Region
Carvalho, R. M. P. de1, Madramootoo, C.A2 1Research Assistant – CARICOM CIFSRF Project; 2Dean, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University McGill Institute for Global Food Security, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Macdonald Campus, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec
Water, both in excess and in deficit, is a constraint to food
security in the Caribbean Region. Improved water
management, water conservation and drip irrigation have the
potential to ensure a continuous year-round supply of fresh
fruits and vegetables, in order to improve the dietary intake
and health of the Caribbean population.
With the goal to improve the nutrition and health of CARICOM (Caribbean community) populations, a field study on soil moisture measurement and management, advanced irrigation scheduling technologies, and drip irrigation is being piloted through the CARICOM CIFSRF project.
The main objective is to verify if the introduction of drip
irrigation systems together with mulching improve
agricultural production by raising crop yields on small farms.
The design of the experiment is a Complete Randomized Block with 3 treatments and 3 repetitions.
For the first experiment, the three treatments applied are 100% of Available Water Content (AWC), 80% of AWC and Farmer Management (FM).
For the second experiment the three treatment applied are without mulching (WM), plastic mulching (PM) and Straw (S).
12 different vegetable crops have so far been studied, in order to test the water management interventions.
Soil moisture sensors were installed on the pilot sites for irrigation scheduling. Irrigation schedules were developed based on soil property measurements and crop type.
Irrigation design in Guyana
Source: World atlas 2013
The irrigation studies started in 2011, and extensive field measurements have so far been conducted in Guyana and St. Kitts. Crops grown include tomato, melons, string beans, cabbage, bora, egg-plant, peppers, cucumbers, carrots and pumpkin. Soil moisture sensors were installed on the pilot sites in Guyana and St. Kitts for irrigation scheduling. Irrigation schedules were developed based on soil property measurements and crop type.
Soil water retention apparatus
Drip-irrigation installation in St. Kitts
Soil sampling
Soil moisture monitoring
Soil moisture equipment Pro-check
String beans harvesting in St. Kitts
This work was carried out with the aid of a grant from the International Development Research Center (IDRC), Ottawa, Canada, www.idrc.ca, and with financial support from the Government of Canada, provided through Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada (DFATD), www.international.gc.ca Special thanks for Dr.Oudho Homemauth and NAREI staff , Illis Watts and Ministry of Agriculture staff of St. Kitts for their collaboration and essential assistance on the countries, as well as Dr. Felix Jaria, Dr. Alaba Boluwade, Kenton Olliverre,, M.Sc. Candidate Naresh Gaj and Sharon Campbell for their unswerving help.
Contact: [email protected]
In St. Kitts for Tomato (S. lycospersicum) String beans (P. vulgaris) and Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) the results showed a yield increase of 230%, 209% and 770%, respectively.
In Guyana, due to wetter conditions, the drip-irrigations systems were not used for all crop seasons.
In Guyana, the highest yield increase of 33% due to irrigation was found with Red Beans (P. vulgaris).
Bora (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis) was the only crop that showed statistical difference at 95% confidence level between the treatments. The Treatment 3 - 100% AWC - showed the best yield results. Moreover, the experiment showed statistical differences between the FM and both drip-irrigation treatments.
Pilot project in a clockwise sense Tomato (STK), Cabbage (STK), Bora (GUY) and Red pepper (GUY)
The different mulching did not show statistical difference between treatments at 95% confidence level. However, highest yield was found with Straw treatment.
5753
7046
7563
5000
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FarmerManagement
80% of AWC 100% of AWC
Po
ds
yie
ld (
Kg/
ha)
Bora yield (Kg/ha) - Guyana
Farmer Management 80% of AWC 100% of AWC
780 885
1742
0
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Without mulching Plastic mulching Straw
Fru
its
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ha)
Tomato yield (Kg/ka) - Guyana
Without mulching Plastic mulching Straw
15536
5872 6278
1814
24167
11994
6720
2800 815 1040
16800
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Cro
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a)
St. Kitts - Comparative yield (Kg/ha)
Irrigated Not irrigated
15203 18460
28834
2374
39787
14581 17127
27027
1778
39150
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Bora Tomato Eggplant Red beans Sweetpeppers
Cro
p y
ield
Kg/
ha)
Guyana - Comparative project yield (Kg/ha)
Irrigated Not irrigated
Project website: www.mcgill.ca/globalfoodsecurity/research-initiatives/caricom-project
Conclusion