Furrow Irrigated Raised Bed Wheat Production

Smart Irrigation, Bountiful Harvests

This technique involves creating raised beds, 40-130 cm wide and 10-20 cm tall, with furrows 20-50 cm wide in between. Crops are planted on top of the beds, and water is directed to the furrows, ensuring even irrigation and maintaining optimal soil moisture. The engineered surface enhances rainwater collection, reducing soil erosion. Capillary forces and evapotranspiration prevent waterlogging, protecting wheat crops. This method is effective only with specific varieties of irrigated wheat. In Ethiopia, these varieties include Amibera, Ga’ambo, Kakaba, Fentale-2, Shorima, Dandaa, and Ogolcho. In Nigeria, the varieties are Attila, Reyna 28, Norman Borlaug, Pastor, Imam, and Kauz. In Sudan, suitable varieties include Goumria, Zakia, Imam, Elnielain, Bohaine, Argine, Akasha, Zaidab, Ageeb, Ashri, Amel, and Al-Shibak.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

7•7

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 7/9; level of use 7/9

Project adoption4

Technology integrated in the CREW- Ethiopia, SEWPP- Sudan, TAISP- Tanzania, and ERAVCDP- Angola projects.

Project	Beneficiaries	Budget	Duration	Key figures
CREW- Ethiopia Climate Resilient Wheat Value Chain Development Project	500,000 smallholder households.	94.30 million	2023–2028	4 t/ha in wheat productivity. 528 water pumps. 50,000 farmer groups. 528 water pumps.
SEWPP- Sudan Emergency Wheat Production Project	400,000 smallholder farming households (40% women).	73.81 million	2023–2025	891,000 tons. 45,000 tons of certified seeds.
TAISP- Tanzania Agricultural Inputs Support Project	1,200,000 smallholder households (40% women & young people).	84.07 million	2022–2028	7,200 tons of wheat seed. 600,000 tons of fertilizer. 1,200,000 farmers.
ERAVCDP- Angola Eastern Region Agricultural Value Chain Development Project	240,000 households, 55% of which are headed by women. 1,200 young people (ages 15–34) involved in agricultural entrepreneurship.	211.4 million	2026–2031	2,500 ha of irrigation networks. 9 markets and warehouses. 360,000 tons of fertilizer.

See project details ›

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

The poor: Positive high

Under 18: Positive medium

Women: Positive high

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Biodiversity: No impact on biodiversity

Carbon footprint: Same amount of carbon released

Environmental health: Does not improve environmental health

Soil quality: Improves soil health and fertility

Water use: Same amount of water used

Problem

Excessive Water Consumption in Traditional Flood Irrigation
Traditional flood irrigation methods result in the wasteful use of large volumes of water. This not only strains limited freshwater resources but also drives up production costs for wheat farmers.
Risk of Soil Water Logging and Salinization
Blanket flooding in traditional methods can lead to water logging, where excess water accumulates in the soil, suffocating plant roots. Additionally, it increases the risk of salinization, as salts in the soil are drawn up, potentially damaging crops.
Inefficient Fertilizer Use
In traditional methods, it's challenging to apply fertilizers precisely, often leading to overuse or uneven distribution. This inefficiency not only drives up production costs but can also harm the environment.
Suboptimal Soil Moisture and Crop Productivity
Inadequate control over soil moisture levels in traditional methods can lead to suboptimal conditions for crop growth. This can result in lower yields and reduced overall productivity for wheat farmers.
Limited Freshwater Supply for Agriculture
Access to freshwater is a critical issue for agriculture, particularly in dryland areas. The limited supply of freshwater for irrigation poses a significant challenge for wheat farmers, impacting their ability to achieve higher yields and drought resilience.

Solution

Controlled Furrow Irrigation: Implementing controlled furrow irrigation techniques significantly reduces water consumption by directing water only to the necessary areas, optimizing soil moisture levels for wheat crops.
Raised Bed Cultivation: Raised bed cultivation prevents water logging and salinization by promoting drainage and allowing roots to access oxygen, safeguarding crops from these damaging effects.
Precision Fertilizer Application: Utilizing precision techniques allows for accurate and efficient fertilizer distribution, ensuring crops receive the nutrients they need without excess, reducing costs and environmental impact.
Engineered Soil Surfaces: Implementing engineered surfaces with raised beds and controlled furrows ensures optimal soil moisture levels, promoting healthy crop growth and maximizing yields.
Rainwater Harvesting and Controlled Irrigation: Employing rainwater harvesting techniques in combination with controlled irrigation practices helps utilize available freshwater resources more efficiently, enhancing drought resilience and overall crop production.

Key points to design your program

Furrow Irrigated Raised Beds improve wheat production by replacing inefficient flood irrigation with raised beds and furrows that deliver water directly to crop roots. The technology reduces water losses, prevents waterlogging, improves fertilizer-use efficiency, and increases productivity under water-scarce conditions where irrigation water is limited or expensive. Suitable for climate-smart agriculture, food security, sustainable water management, and drought adaptation programmes, it contributes to SDGs 2 (Zero Hunger), 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and 13 (Climate Action). The technology strengthens the efficient use of water resources while improving the resilience and productivity of wheat-based farming systems. To successfully integrate this technology, consider the following key actions:

Identify priority irrigation areas where inefficient flood irrigation, water scarcity, or high irrigation costs constrain wheat production, prioritizing sites with suitable sandy, loamy, or clayey soils and land slopes below 3%.
Establish partnerships with agricultural research institutions, irrigation authorities, extension services, mechanization service providers, and farmer organizations to support technology dissemination, technical assistance, and field implementation.
Assess site suitability by evaluating soil characteristics, land slope, water availability, and the risk of salinization before introducing raised-bed irrigation systems.
Support precision land preparation through raised-bed construction, furrow alignment, land levelling, and the equipment required to improve uniform water distribution and irrigation efficiency.
Facilitate access to improved wheat varieties and complementary production packages suited to raised-bed systems, together with precision fertilizer management to maximize water and nutrient-use efficiency.
Train farmers, extension agents, and service providers on raised-bed establishment, irrigation scheduling, soil moisture monitoring, efficient fertilizer application, and routine system maintenance through practical demonstrations and field learning activities.
Promote integrated production systems by combining raised-bed irrigation with crop rotations involving legumes, rice, or cotton to improve soil fertility, resource-use efficiency, and long-term farm resilience.
Monitor programme performance through indicators such as water-use efficiency, wheat productivity, fertilizer-use efficiency, technology adoption, and farmer participation.

360 USD

sheet plastic per ha

100—250 USD

water from planting to harvest

IP

Open source / open access

Scaling Readiness describes how complete a technology\’s development is and its ability to be scaled. It produces a score that measures a technology\’s readiness along two axes: the level of maturity of the idea itself, and the level to which the technology has been used so far.

Each axis goes from 0 to 9 where 9 is the “ready-to-scale” status. For each technology profile in the e-catalogs we have documented the scaling readiness status from evidence given by the technology providers. The e-catalogs only showcase technologies for which the scaling readiness score is at least 8 for maturity of the idea and 7 for the level of use.

The graph below represents visually the scaling readiness status for this technology, you can see the label of each level by hovering your mouse cursor on the number.

Scaling readiness score of this technology

Maturity of the idea 7 out of 9

Semi-controlled environment: prototype

Level of use 7 out of 9

Common use by projects NOT connected to technology provider

Maturity of the idea										Level of use
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9

Project	Beneficiaries	Budget	Duration	Key figures
CREW- Ethiopia Climate Resilient Wheat Value Chain Development Project	500,000 smallholder households.	94.30 million	2023–2028	4 t/ha in wheat productivity. 528 water pumps. 50,000 farmer groups. 528 water pumps.
SEWPP- Sudan Emergency Wheat Production Project	400,000 smallholder farming households (40% women).	73.81 million	2023–2025	891,000 tons. 45,000 tons of certified seeds.
TAISP- Tanzania Agricultural Inputs Support Project	1,200,000 smallholder households (40% women & young people).	84.07 million	2022–2028	7,200 tons of wheat seed. 600,000 tons of fertilizer. 1,200,000 farmers.
ERAVCDP- Angola Eastern Region Agricultural Value Chain Development Project	240,000 households, 55% of which are headed by women. 1,200 young people (ages 15–34) involved in agricultural entrepreneurship.	211.4 million	2026–2031	2,500 ha of irrigation networks. 9 markets and warehouses. 360,000 tons of fertilizer.

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
Ethiopia	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Kenya	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Niger	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Nigeria	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
South Africa	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Sudan	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Uganda	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Zambia	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Zimbabwe	–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 6: clean water and sanitation

Goal 13: climate action

Goal 5: gender equality

Inspect Field and Determine Slope:
- Before starting, visually inspect the field to identify the slope and direction of water flow.
- If the slope is less than 0.5%, design the bed-furrow system to be parallel with the slope. If greater than 0.5%, align it with the contours.
Prepare the Soil:
- Clear the field of rocks, debris, and tree trunks.
- Till the soil to a depth of 20cm and harrow to break up large clumps.
Install Distribution Channel and Drainage Collector:
- At the higher end of the field, install a distribution channel to evenly spread water.
- At the lower end, set up a drainage collector to prevent water accumulation.
Create Raised Beds and Furrows:
- Use appropriate tools to shape the soil into raised beds (40-130 cm wide, 10-20 cm tall) with furrows (20-50 cm wide) in between.
Level Beds and Optional Covering:
- Ensure the beds are level for uniform irrigation. Optionally, cover the beds with mulch or plastic sheets to maintain the engineered surface.
Optimize Crop Growth and Rotation :
- Monitor soil moisture and nutrient levels throughout the growing season for optimal conditions.
- Harvest when ready, benefiting from higher yields and returns on investment.
- Consider rotating crops like rice, cotton, or legumes alongside wheat for diversified agricultural productivity.