How Nghi Loc saves water in agricultural production

(Baonghean.vn) - Nghi Loc district has over 40 large and small dams, serving irrigation for nearly 3,000 hectares of rice. In early 2017, most of the reservoirs in the area were full of water. Although there was no need to worry about drought in the winter-spring crop like previous years, the agricultural sector and units and localities still strengthened measures to save water to serve the production of the summer-autumn crop - the next season.

"Increasing streams, reducing lakes" is the current motto for managing water for winter-spring rice irrigation in communes in the dam area of ​​Nghi Loc district. Accordingly, in these communes, the district's Irrigation Enterprise limits the opening of sluice gates to take water from dams, instead making the most of the abundant water resources in streams to pump water for winter-spring rice in the area.

These days, the Nghi Kieu Commune Irrigation Team has increased the operation of 3 pumping stations along Cai stream. In addition to ensuring regular irrigation for 145 hectares of rice in the area, these pumping stations also serve to irrigate 120 hectares of rice that usually use irrigation water from dams.

Nghi Kieu Commune (Nghi Loc) increased the operating time of the Cai stream water pumping stations to irrigate 120 hectares of rice fields that normally use water from dams.Photo: Nhat Tuan

Mr. Ngo Dung - Head of the Nghi Kieu commune irrigation team said: "Water from 3 pumping stations supports rice fields in the dam lake area, some places are up to 3km away. Therefore, before the crop season, the commune irrigation team cooperates with the hamlets to dredge and clear all the canals; assign people to be on duty day and night to pump water to the fields."

In order to achieve high yield in the winter-spring rice crop, the district People's Committee directed localities to continue to drastically implement water-saving measures in addition to preventing pests and diseases for rice; focus on repairing eroded canals that are causing difficulties in irrigation water management.

Mr. Le Dang The in hamlet 5B, Nghi Van commune (Nghi Loc) takes water into the field at the necessary level and regularly builds banks to prevent water loss.Photo: Nhat Tuan

Mr. Le Dang The in hamlet 5B, Nghi Van commune produces 7 sao of spring rice. Mr. The said: "Following the commune's policy of saving water, I built up the fields' banks to prevent water from flowing out. The water level in the fields is only maintained at 4 - 5 cm for the rice to tiller and develop."

The policy of saving water for summer-autumn crop production has been implemented by the District People's Committee right from the beginning of the winter-spring crop. In each field, only one rice variety is usually planted and sown at the same time so that the water supply to the field is concentrated in a short period of time.

In addition to directing intensive rice production, localities also propagate to people to be aware of saving water in production. The district irrigation enterprise and irrigation service units in the area closely follow the production plan to manage irrigation water at the right stages of rice development such as the first and second fertilization; the stages of rice tillering, rice panicle formation, rice panicle emergence, rice drying... to avoid unnecessary water supply, causing waste.

Nhat Tuan