Effects of Rainwater Harvesting on Yield of Wheat and Maize Crops in Pakistan

Pak. J. Agri., Agril. Engg., Vet. Sci., 2021, 37 (1): 29-35 ISSN: 1023-1072 (Print), ISSN: 2663-7863 (Online) https://doi.org/10.47432/2020.37.1.4 EFFECTS OF RAINWATER HARVESTING ON YIELD OF WHEAT AND MAIZE CROPS IN PAKISTAN I. Jan*1, S. Khan1 and T. Mahmood2 1Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan 2Department of Rural Development, Karakorum International University, Daimir-Chilas Campus, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan ABSTRACT This paper attempts to identify the effect of rainwater harvesting (RWH) and rainfed irrigation on yield of wheat and maize crops in Pakistan. The study was carried out in two villages, namely, Reerh and Ghoutar of district Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. A total of 200 farming households were randomly selected from both villages. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect primary data. The descriptive analysis shows that farmers in the research area had adopted small-scale, indigenous RWH schemes such as channels, bunds, tanks, and rooftop collection. A paired-samples t-test was used to compare the yield of wheat and maize crops between irrigated and rainfed farming systems. The results of the paired t-test confirmed a difference in yield of wheat and maize in irrigated and rainfed conditions. The study concludes that the large portion of uncultivated land could be cultivated if water shortage problem is resolved through the promotion of community-led RWH schemes in the area. This will help in sustainable agricultural development in the area. Keywords: crop water requirement, monsoon rains, rainfed irrigation, rainwater harvesting, crop yield INTRODUCTION1 to 3.1 tons per hectare in irrigated agriculture Agriculture sector is the largest single consumer (Rosegrant et al., 2002). This implies that low of all water resources taken together, i.e., rainfall yields in rainfed agriculture in developing (referred to as green water) and water in rivers, countries can be increased with proper water lakes and aquifers (referred to as blue water) management and conservation practices (Baig (Oweis and Hachum, 2009). On average, et al., 2013). agriculture accounts for 70 percent of the global Pakistan’s population is growing at a faster freshwater (FAO, 2017). However, water rate. The present population of the country is availability for agriculture is expected to be 224.25 million (Worldometer, 2021). By the year decreased in the near future (Jan, 2020a). The 2030, the population of Pakistan will reach to situation will be exacerbated by the climate 262.59 million (UN, 2019). Food security for this change which will result in declines in rainfall burgeoning population is a major challenge and amplification of extreme events (Tabari, facing Pakistan. To meet water requirements for 2020). This emphasizes the need for water the agricultural lands is a widely recognized management in rainfed agriculture to store water means to increase food production per unit area. required for food production (Rockström et al., Sustainable agricultural development does not 2010). Literature shows that agricultural only mean to provide food for the rising productivity worldwide is lower in rainfed areas population but also saves water for future uses than irrigated farming systems. The productivity (FAO, 2015). The challenge is to develop and remains low due to decreased optimal rainfall apply environmental friendly water-saving features, unfavorable land conditions and lack of techniques and management methods, appropriate management of these resources particularly, in the water scarce areas. One of (Helmreich and Horn, 2009). In developing the potential water scarce areas in Pakistan is countries, average grain yield in rainfed the mountain ranges where agriculture is mostly agriculture is 1.5 tons per hectare as compared rainfed and a large number of farmers merely grow for survival. Pakistan has two mountain ranges in the * Corresponding author: [email protected] Hindu Kush-Himalayas namely the western © 2021, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam (http://pjaaevs.sau.edu.pk/index.php/ojs) Pak. J. Agri., Agril. Engg., Vet. Sci., 2021, 37 (1) mountains and the northern mountains. Western Pakistan (Figure 1) from June to September, mountains include major part of Kohat and 2014. Situated at 216 km from Peshawar, Bannu Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Mansehra has a hilly terrain and agriculture up- and tribal areas of Kurram, North Waziristan, hill is mostly rainfed. Like other mountain ranges South Waziristan, Bannu and Kohat. Northern of the Himalayan region, Mansehra has an mountains include Malakand Division, Hazara unpredictable weather with poor and unevenly Division, Northern Areas and Murree-Kahuta distributed rainfall. Most of the arable land is Tehsil of Rawalpindi District (Jan, 2020b). This rainfed and scarcity of rains after monsoons research was carried out in the northern results in drought like situation. To overcome mountains of KP. In the research area, water shortage problem, farmers have agriculture is rainfed and farmers use developed indigenous small-scale RWH indigenous RWH schemes to irrigate fields schemes in the area. during different cropping stages. Two villages namely Reerh and Ghoutar The current research makes an attempt to were selected as a sample. The villages were answer the following important questions: 1) selected because of the large number of What are the particular type of small-scale, indigenously developed small-scale RWH indigenously developed RWH schemes (with low schemes (Jan, 2020a). The total number of water storage capacity) that farmers uptake? 2) households in Reerh and Ghouter were 350 and What is the role of efficient use of harvested 300 respectively. There were two types of water in increased production of the major grain farmers in these villages: those who have taken crops in the research area? up the existing schemes and those who had not. The paper contributes to literature on RWH A total of 50 respondents were randomly exemplifying Pakistan. The study addresses the selected from each category in both villages gap that no empirical evidence exists on the using an equal allocation and simple random yield difference between irrigated and rainfed sampling techniques. Thus, the total sample size farming systems in Pakistan. The novelty of the was 200 farming households. A semi-structured paper is that it takes into account the small- questionnaire was used to collect primary data scale; indigenously developed RWH schemes from the male farming head of the household. compared to the formally developed schemes The questionnaire was pre-tested in the field having larger efficiency. The paper also and necessary changes were made before compares the yield of different crops cultivated starting the main field survey. A paired-samples in both rainfed and irrigated conditions. t-test was conducted to compare the yield of wheat and maize crops in irrigated and rainfed MATERIALS AND METHODS farming systems. The research was carried out in District Mansehra of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in Figure 1. Map of Pakistan showing the research villages 30 Pak. J. Agri., Agril. Engg., Vet. Sci., 2021, 37 (1) Let d = difference between yield of crops grown major driver to attain the sustainable on irrigated and rainfed land, then paired t-test development goals (SDGs) (FAO, 2017). tests the following hypotheses: Improving agricultural productivity, while H0: d = 0 conserving water, is an essential requirement for H1: d 0 farmers to increase global food supplies on a sustainable basis. That is why the role of RWH To test the null hypothesis (H0), a paired- in improving productivity in rainfed agriculture samples t-test is used, which is: has been appraised by previous research (Ali et d al., 2007). Globally, rainfed agriculture is the t S.() E d primary source of food production (FAO, 2017). In Pakistan, few selected crops such as wheat, rice, cotton, sugarcane, and maize Where denotes the mean of differences in d dominate the overall crop production (Abbas, yield and S.E(d) is the standard error of 2013; GoP 2019). However, it has been noted differences in yield between irrigated and rainfed that productivity of cereals, particularly summer farming systems. crops, is too low in Pakistan (Ahmad et al., 2016). In the research area, the major grains RESULTS AND DISCUSSION crops were wheat and maize. Besides, rice and Uptake of indigenous RWH schemes vegetables were also grown on small piece of As mentioned earlier, small-scale RWH land. The area under the major crops (wheat schemes already existed in the research and maize) and per unit yield is discussed villages. The schemes were mostly constructed below. indigenously with minimal efficiency. It was noted that farmers had adopted RWH systems Area under wheat and yield per unit area such as channels, bunds, tanks, and rooftop Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most collection. Figure 2 provides information about valuable crops and a staple food for the vast the existence of different indigenously built RWH majority of the human population. Wheat is schemes and the proportion of sample cultivated under a wide range of moisture population that had adopted it (Jan, 2020b). conditions where precipitation ranges from 250 The figure explains that 50 percent to 1750 mm (Tiryakioğlu et al., 2015). Like other respondents in both villages were using no RWH countries, wheat is the major crop in Pakistan scheme at all. The remaining 50 percent in each and is sown on both irrigated and rainfed lands. village were the adopters of the schemes. The The share of wheat in national GDP is 2.2 figure shows that 16 percent in Reerh and 18 percent and the crop contributes 10.1 percent to percent in Ghoutar were using RWH channels to value added agriculture (Hussain et al., 2014). In store water for irrigation purposes. Another 10 brief, the crop has a dominant position in the percent in Reerh and 12 percent in Ghoutar had formulation of agriculture sector policies in the constructed bunds as water storage reservoirs.

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