%O This research was part of project Increasing Irrigation Water Productivity in Mozambique, Tanzania
and Zimbabwe through On-Farm Monitoring, Adaptive Management and Agricultural Innovation
Platforms and funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research [grant no.
FSC/2013/006]. The project was also supported by the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and
Ecosystems and CGIAR Fund Donors.
%K Irrigated agriculture, Soil and moisture monitoring tools,
Adaptive management, Zimbabwe
%A M Moyo
%A A Van Rooyen
%A H Bjornlund
%A K Parry
%A R Stirzaker
%A T Dube
%A M Maya
%I Routledge
%L icrisat11550
%J International Journal of Water Resources Development (TSI)
%P 1-25
%R doi:10.1080/07900627.2020.1739513
%D 2020
%X Successful irrigated agriculture is underpinned by answering two
critical questions: when and how much to irrigate. This article quantifies
the role of the Chameleon and the Wetting Front Detector,
monitoring tools facilitating decision-making and learning about soilwater-
nutrient dynamics. Farmers retained nutrients in the root zone
by reducing irrigation frequency, number of siphons, and event
duration. Water productivity increased by more than 100% for farmers
both with and without monitoring tools. Transitioning smallholder
irrigation systems into profitable and sustainable schemes
requires investment in technology, farmers and institutions.
Importantly, technologies need embedding in a learning environment
that fosters critical feedback mechanisms, such as market
constraints.
%T The dynamics between irrigation frequency and soil nutrient management: transitioning smallholder irrigation towards more profitable and sustainable systems in Zimbabwe