Efficient water use, higher crop yields and improved farmer incomes
Impacts of huge investments in irrigation schemes in Africa are often not realized. However, a series of ingenious irrigation schemes in Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe have shown multiple impacts including lesser water use, reduced conflict, higher crop yields and improved on- and off-farm household incomes. This was the outcome of over five years of work with two innovative tools for soil moisture and solute monitoring (Chameleon and FullStop Wetting Front Detector respectively). These were used along with a social process through Agricultural Innovation Platforms (AIPs).
