Compatibility of Alternate Wetting and Drying Irrigation with Local Agriculture in An Giang Province, Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Abstract

In response to the tightening supplies and growing demands for water on a global scale, the International Rice Research Institute has attempted to diffuse a water-saving technology called alternate wetting and drying irrigation (AWD) for rice farming in Asian countries. This study assessed the compatibility of AWD with local agriculture, based on field surveys in An Giang Province (AG), which is located in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Interviews with the local government staff that is responsible for AWD diffusion in AG indicated that farmers who used AWD realized not only water-saving effects, but also improvements in rice yield and growth. For instance, rice farming in the Mekong Delta has always suffered from culm lodging due to the flood plain location; however, farmers realized decline of culm lodging through AWD, and hence these additional benefits will help to further diffuse AWD. Moreover, these interviews illuminate that AWD can be used in certain natural, agro-engineering, and social settings, because it’s an irrigation technology that requires precise water level control. For instance, higher-lying paddy fields tend to dry up earlier due to higher levels of percolation and seepage, while lower-lying fields are difficult to drain; therefore, mid-lying fields are best suited to AWD. This study highlights the importance of compatibility between AWD and the local agriculture in the diffusion process based on qualitative surveys, which should be quantitatively verified with statistical data and satellite images on a wider scale.