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Management and Utilization Strategy of Water Resources for Rice Production

M B Hossain
Irrigation and Water Management Division, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Gazipur-1701, Bangladesh.

M Maniruzzaman
Irrigation and Water Management Division, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Gazipur-1701, Bangladesh.

A K M S Islam
Farm Machinery and Postharvest Technology Division, BRRI, Gazipur-1701, Bangladesh.

M U Salam
Freelance International Consultant (Agricultural Systems), Bangladesh.

M S Kabir
Director General, BRRI, Gazipur-1701, Bangladesh.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The declination of available water resources is threatening the dry season crop production in Bangladesh. Sustainable water management is a crucial need to meet future food production. This study was aimed to determine a futuristic water management strategy for rice cultivation. Both surface and groundwater are getting scarce in the northwest region, whereas abundant fresh surface water creating opportunities to irrigate dry season crops in the south-central region. This study has outlined irrigation management for rice cultivation and groundwater utilization in the water-scarce area of the northwest region. More than 75% of annual rainfall occurred during the monsoon and crops other than the monsoon often faced water shortage. Timely establishment of T. Aus rice on 01 May accounted average of 183 mm supplemental irrigation for the north-west and south-west region. Transplanting of T. Aman rice before 24 July found the low-risk period of drought and gave about 1 t ha^-1 yield advantage than late transplanting after 15 October. Supplemental irrigation in drought year gave up to 26% yield advantage over the rain-fed condition of T. Aman rice in the experimental plot. Overexploitation of groundwater by farmers for crop cultivation makes the groundwater status worsen. Farmers used 38% excess water than the actual requirement for Boro rice cultivation. For that annual groundwater withdrawal was higher than annual recharge causing groundwater level depletion in most of the districts. Groundwater table went below the suction limit of shallow tubewell (STW) during the dry season and thus it become unable to operate. Improved distribution system with plastic pipe, the buried pipe could save about 25% of irrigation water. Alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation method saved 20-25% water than farmer’s practice. Application of these on-farm water management technologies in Boro rice reduced water demand and made the groundwater balance positive as well as reduced the groundwater withdrawal pressure. On the contrary, irrigation with less saline surface water resources in rivers and canals of south-central regions could expand Boro production and increased land productivity. The intervention of low lift pump with plastic pipe distribution in non-saline tidal areas could increase land productivity. Besides, trapped fresh water into the canals inside the polders and re-excavation of these canals would make crop intensification. Thus, additional food production could help to achieve sustainable development goals and sustained food security.

Keywords: Supplemental irrigation, Recharge, Groundwater, Less saline surface water, Rice cultivation

Location: Bangladesh Water Development Board

Start Date: 00-00-1987

End Date: 00-00-2016

Program Area: Crop-Soil-Water Management

Commodity: Water management, Rice

Objectives:

Identify suitable irrigation management practice for T. Aus and T. Aman rice cultivation;
Develop a future action plan of safe groundwater irrigation;
Determine the safe groundwater withdrawal in the north-west hydrological region;
Utilize the surface water for dry season crop cultivation in the south-central region; and,
Develop and map the action plan for three decades on reducing yield loss from water stress.

Methodology:

Historical (1987-2016) groundwater table data of the northwest hydrological region were collected from Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB). Thirty years of water level data of 100 observation wells were analyzed. Historical (36 years from 1981) weather data of rainfall, temperature, wind speed, humidity, and sunshine hours were collected for seven weather stations (Rangpur, Dinajpur, Ishwardi, Rajshahi, Bogura, Chuadanga, and Jashore) from Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) to determine irrigation water requirement of major growing crops in the study regions. District-wise area coverage of different crops was gathered from the Year Book of Agricultural Statistics (BBS, 2012 to 2018).

Hossain et al., 2017 estimated irrigation water requirement and irrigation scheduling of Boro and T. Aman rice in the northwest hydrological region of Bangladesh. The CROPWAT 8.0 model (Allen, et al., 1998) was used to estimate net irrigation requirements considering crop, soil, weather, and management practices. The amount of supplemental irrigation for T. Aus and T. Aman rice and net irrigation requirement of major crops in the study region was estimated using the model. Crop-wise actual data on irrigation, applied by farmers in different regions were collected from Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) and Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) studies. Groundwater storage was calculated from annually recharged and withdrawal of water. Groundwater was abstracted for irrigation by all the crops and domestic uses. About 62 L water person-1 day-1 was considered in domestic use in the study region (Milton et al., 2006) However, this study did not consider industrial use of water since less industrial area and was negligible water use compared to irrigation. The declination of the minimum groundwater table indicated the negative balance of groundwater and vice versa. The reduced amount of groundwater withdrawal was calculated following the trial and error method to make groundwater balance positive. This study considered the reduction of water used from the rice field by utilizing water-saving technologies during Boro rice cultivation. Groundwater balance was studied in two approaches as existing farmers' water management in Boro rice and actual irrigation requirement. The amount of irrigation applied in non-rice crops remained the same in both approaches. BRRI has conducted a consecutive three years study from 2016 to monitor the water salinity of major river systems in the Barishal region (BRRI, 2019). The water salinity of Tertulia, Buriswar, Bishkhali, and Boleswar was measured at fixed points during the dry season (December to May). Finally, a point of each river was selected where water salinity remains < 1 dS m^-1. The surface water resources from the point to upstream were considered as suitable for irrigation. BRRI has assessed the amount of freshwater available for irrigation inside the polder 43/1 at Amtali, Barguna (Maniruzzaman et al., 2019). The volume of water stored in the canals was calculated by taking the length, width, and depth of canals. The possible area under crop cultivation was calculated from stored water and seasonal water requirement of dry season crops.

Source of Information: Bangladesh Rice J. 25 (1) : 37-50, 2021

Article Link (Online Journal): DOI: https://doi.org/10.3329/brj.v25i1.55178

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The timely establishment of T. Aus rice needed supplemental irrigation in most of the regions. T. Aman rice transplanted before 24 July found the low-risk period of drought and gave a significant yield advantage over late transplanting. Supplemental irrigation in T. Aman showed up to a 26% yield increase over the rainfed condition. Maximum groundwater level exceeded the suction limit of STW in 44 Upazilas out of 108 in the northwest hydrological region of Bangladesh indicated DTW should be used for groundwater irrigation. Except for the Rangpur regions, the minimum groundwater level is increasing both in Pabna and Bogura region pointed out that annual withdrawal surpassed the annual recharge. This resulted from decreased annual rainfall and overused water for irrigation. Farmers applied about 38% more water than the actual irrigation requirement in the study region. The application of on-farm water management technologies can reduce excessive water withdrawal and make groundwater balance positive. Besides, huge freshwater resources in rivers and in extensive canal networks inside the polder area have created opportunities to dry season crop cultivation in 144405 ha of fallow land in the Barishal region. Boro rice can be cultivated using freshwater resources in Tentulia, Bishkhali, Burishwar, and Boleswar rivers with the intervention of a low lift pump and an improved distribution system.

Knowledge Management: Journal