USING EXTENSION METHODS TO TEACH IMPROVED IRRIGATION METHODS TO FARMERS IN MALAWI
Agronomy & Pest Management
Mark Nelson
Extension Professor
UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
BEAVER
Abstract
I was invited to teach irrigation management to farmers Malawi on the east coast of Africa. Farmers in Malawi rely mainly on a five month rainy season for crop production, but irrigation allows crops to be raised during the dry season. My assignment was to evaluate alternatives to the current irrigation delivery using cans and treadle pumps and recommend more efficient methods of water application. One water delivery alternative is the use of a diesel pump and had been implemented by one farmer for his potato fields. This alternative works very well, and I demonstrated how to use and maintain the diesel pump. However, a diesel pump costs more than most individual Malawi farmers cannot afford, and I encouraged the farmers to work in groups of ten to buy a pump. A cooperative effort would make it possible for them to irrigate many more acres of crop ground and ensure a more sustainable food supply. I also taught over 100 farmers how to conserve water by mulching their fields and how to determine the amount of moisture in the soil so they know when to irrigate their fields. One really good outcome from my visit is that the farmers continue to meet together and discuss things every week.
Authors: Nelson, M.
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Nelson, M. Agricultural Agent, Utah State University, Utah, 84713