Irrigation Efficiency And Water Productivity in Sandy Regosol Areas of Batticaloa District

Abstract

Kaluthavalai is one of the villages in Batticaloa Di(trct where groundwater extraction intensive agriculture for has been practiced excessively for commercial farming in sandy Regosols' This study focused on the effective use of irrigation water and productive performance in terms of !rrigation Efficiency and water Productivity in Kaluthavalai Farming Village in Batticaloa district. They practioe suriace irrigation method to irrigate their crops. The prirnary data were colieeted through a questionnaire survey from a stratified random sample of 50 farmers. seeonef*ry data were collected from the Department of Agrarian services and other relevant authorities. lrrigation effieieney and irrigation productivity in the production of chiilie and brinjar crops were anaryzed. I 'r vvu The average caiculated irrigation efficiency for chillie ano niinlat were 30.g7 o/o and 30.44% respectively' This loral efficiency was due to excessive irrigation and fauity irrigation methods practiced by the farmers. Farniers repdrted tfiat they adopted these inappropriate methods dusto climatic and soil conditions. The ar€rage water productivity for chillie was 0'077 kg/m3 tY n^19 0'194 kg/mrand 15'51 Ttf,:/Accordingly, the wa-ter productivity for brinjat was Rs/m3. rhii inoicates the excessive use of water for cultivation, This could be reduced substantially throush adoptins il"l;di;il;,;;#ervation methods' These values were very low compared tolhe regearch level estimates in the sandy Regosol areas' ln order to increase the irrigation'proouctivity, yield should be increased or applied water should be reducef.'sinJe incieasing yield is a limited task, decreasing applied quantity of water is the'only possible way to increase the water productivity Further, the attention to soil qonservaiiori and organic fertilizer usage was very poor among the farmers. lrrigation with small but frequlnt ooses oi *;,;,. is the most suitable system for this area. Given the potential of agriculture in this area and the concerns on the environment, improvinf irrigation efficiencf is deemed to be the utmost importance for sustainable agriculture.