Precision Rice Irrigation and Surface Leveling

Level Up Rice Yields with Precision Irrigation and Resource Conservation

These technologies involve shaping rice paddy soil surfaces into straight, horizontal planes to enable uniform water distribution. Laser-guided leveling is a prominent method, significantly enhancing soil moisture control and water use efficiency. In regions like Cambodia and India, this practice has led to improved germination rates, reduced labor requirements, decreased weed infestations, and increased rice yields.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

8•8

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 8/9; level of use 8/9

Adults 18 and over: Positive medium

The poor: No impact

Under 18: Positive low

Women: Positive low

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Biodiversity: Positive impact on biodiversity

Carbon footprint: A bit less carbon released

Environmental health: Moderately improves environmental health

Soil quality: Improves soil health and fertility

Water use: Much less water used

Problem

Uneven Ground Hinders Growth: Uneven soil stops water and nutrients from reaching all parts of the rice plants, leading to uneven growth.
Losses from Uneven Ground: For every small change in ground level, there's a big drop in the amount of rice we can harvest.
Need for Smoother Fields: Making the land flatter and adding furrows saves water, helps young rice plants survive, and makes it easier to take care of the fields.
Hard Work to Flatten Land: Making the land even takes a lot of hard work from farmers.
Expensive Watering Methods: The way we get water to the fields can cost a lot.
Tricky Watering Can Stress the Crop: Sometimes, the way we water the rice can cause stress to the plants.

Solution

Uniform Water Distribution: Engineered soil surfaces ensure uniform water distribution, enhancing crop growth.
Maximized Harvest: Leveling the soil surface through engineering reduces losses and maximizes harvest.
Optimized Water Use: Engineered surfaces and furrows optimize water use, improve seedling survival, and make field management easier.
Simplified Leveling Process: Precision-engineered equipment simplifies the process of leveling soil surfaces.
Cost-Efficient Irrigation: Efficient water lifting systems optimize irrigation, conserving resources and reducing costs.
Stress-Free Watering: Properly designed water delivery systems alleviate stress on the crops during watering.

Key points to design your project

Engineered irrigation surfaces and water lifting technologies are addressing challenges in traditional rice farming practices. They not only enhance agricultural productivity but also align with global sustainability goals, minimizing water use inefficiencies and paving the way for a resilient and equitable future in rice cultivation.

To incorporate these technologies into your project and delineate the essential activities and requirements, follow these steps:

Raise awareness about benefits of engineered soil surfaces and deficit irrigation with rice producers and farm-service companies,
Identify methods for land leveling and water lifting that match the agricultural and economic contexts of growing communities,
Provide small loans for farmers to offset the initial costs of surface engineering and pay for rental of pumping systems.
Assess the suitable equipment size and quantity for your project, considering that investment costs vary based on the technology's scale. Small-scale systems for leveling soil surfaces start at 4,700 to 5,500 USD, while water lifting equipment can range from 30 to 1,000 USD, depending on specifications.
Knowing that the technology is available in Kenya, Nigeria, includes factors in the delivery costs to the project site, including potential import duties and taxes.

A team of trainers will provide comprehensive training and support during the installation phase. Include the costs associated with training and post-training.

Develop communication materials to promote awareness of the benefits of engineered soil surfaces and efficient water lifting among rice producers and farm-service companies.

Collaborate with agricultural development institutes for effective implementation of these technologies in your country.

For a sustainable approach, associate this technology with Motorized weeders (cut and bury) technology.

Cost: $$$ 4 700—5 500 USD

Add-on equipment

30—80 USD

Hand-operated pumps

1 000 USD

Solar-powered pump

800 USD

High-pressure pumps

IP

Unknown

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Kenya	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Nigeria	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid	–	–	–	–
Semiarid	–	–	–	–
Subhumid
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 2: zero hunger

Goal 1: no poverty

Goal 8: decent work and economic growth

Prepare the Field: Ensure the rice paddy is sufficiently wet.
Calibrate Instruments: Set up and calibrate topographic survey instruments.
Measure the Land: Take precise measurements to design appropriate soil surfaces.
Level the Field: Utilize tractor-mounted tools guided by laser technology to level the field.
Verify Surface Dimensions: Conduct another land survey to ensure the dimensions of soil surfaces are correct.