Acknowledgements

Conclusion

Introduction

Objectives

Methodology

Results

Irrigated Vegetable Production and Conservation Practices for Improved Food Security in CARICOM Region

Carvalho, R. M. P. de1, Madramootoo, C.A2 1Research Assistant – CARICOM CIFSRF Project; 2Dean, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University McGill Institute for Global Food Security, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Macdonald Campus, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec

Water, both in excess and in deficit, is a constraint to food

security in the Caribbean Region. Improved water

management, water conservation and drip irrigation have the

potential to ensure a continuous year-round supply of fresh

fruits and vegetables, in order to improve the dietary intake

and health of the Caribbean population.

With the goal to improve the nutrition and health of CARICOM (Caribbean community) populations, a field study on soil moisture measurement and management, advanced irrigation scheduling technologies, and drip irrigation is being piloted through the CARICOM CIFSRF project.

The main objective is to verify if the introduction of drip

irrigation systems together with mulching improve

agricultural production by raising crop yields on small farms.

The design of the experiment is a Complete Randomized Block with 3 treatments and 3 repetitions.

For the first experiment, the three treatments applied are 100% of Available Water Content (AWC), 80% of AWC and Farmer Management (FM).

For the second experiment the three treatment applied are without mulching (WM), plastic mulching (PM) and Straw (S).

12 different vegetable crops have so far been studied, in order to test the water management interventions.

Soil moisture sensors were installed on the pilot sites for irrigation scheduling. Irrigation schedules were developed based on soil property measurements and crop type.

Irrigation design in Guyana

Source: World atlas 2013

The irrigation studies started in 2011, and extensive field measurements have so far been conducted in Guyana and St. Kitts. Crops grown include tomato, melons, string beans, cabbage, bora, egg-plant, peppers, cucumbers, carrots and pumpkin. Soil moisture sensors were installed on the pilot sites in Guyana and St. Kitts for irrigation scheduling. Irrigation schedules were developed based on soil property measurements and crop type.

Soil water retention apparatus

Drip-irrigation installation in St. Kitts

Soil sampling

Soil moisture monitoring

Soil moisture equipment Pro-check

String beans harvesting in St. Kitts

This work was carried out with the aid of a grant from the International Development Research Center (IDRC), Ottawa, Canada, www.idrc.ca, and with financial support from the Government of Canada, provided through Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada (DFATD), www.international.gc.ca Special thanks for Dr.Oudho Homemauth and NAREI staff , Illis Watts and Ministry of Agriculture staff of St. Kitts for their collaboration and essential assistance on the countries, as well as Dr. Felix Jaria, Dr. Alaba Boluwade, Kenton Olliverre,, M.Sc. Candidate Naresh Gaj and Sharon Campbell for their unswerving help.

Contact: raffaella.carvalho@mail.mcgill.ca

In St. Kitts for Tomato (S. lycospersicum) String beans (P. vulgaris) and Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) the results showed a yield increase of 230%, 209% and 770%, respectively.

In Guyana, due to wetter conditions, the drip-irrigations systems were not used for all crop seasons.

In Guyana, the highest yield increase of 33% due to irrigation was found with Red Beans (P. vulgaris).

Bora (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis) was the only crop that showed statistical difference at 95% confidence level between the treatments. The Treatment 3 - 100% AWC - showed the best yield results. Moreover, the experiment showed statistical differences between the FM and both drip-irrigation treatments.

Pilot project in a clockwise sense Tomato (STK), Cabbage (STK), Bora (GUY) and Red pepper (GUY)

The different mulching did not show statistical difference between treatments at 95% confidence level. However, highest yield was found with Straw treatment.

5753

7046

7563

5000

5500

6000

6500

7000

7500

8000

FarmerManagement

80% of AWC 100% of AWC

Po

ds

yie

ld (

Kg/

ha)

Bora yield (Kg/ha) - Guyana

Farmer Management 80% of AWC 100% of AWC

780 885

1742

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

Without mulching Plastic mulching Straw

Fru

its

(Kg/

ha)

Tomato yield (Kg/ka) - Guyana

Without mulching Plastic mulching Straw

15536

5872 6278

1814

24167

11994

6720

2800 815 1040

16800

11200

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

Cro

p y

ield

(K

g/h

a)

St. Kitts - Comparative yield (Kg/ha)

Irrigated Not irrigated

15203 18460

28834

2374

39787

14581 17127

27027

1778

39150

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

45000

Bora Tomato Eggplant Red beans Sweetpeppers

Cro

p y

ield

Kg/

ha)

Guyana - Comparative project yield (Kg/ha)

Irrigated Not irrigated

Project website: www.mcgill.ca/globalfoodsecurity/research-initiatives/caricom-project

Conclusion