Management of weeds in irrigation and drainage channels
Poor management of aquatic weeds in irrigation systems leads to a number of economic, social and environmental problems, including: waterlogging, shortage of water and provision of habitats for vectors of disease. The book provides guidance to address these problems.
Background
The standard of maintenance of irrigation and drainage is poor in many irrigation systems throughout the world. Aquatic weeds can create a significant problem for irrigation system management and individual farmers. This is one technical factor that prevents irrigation & drainage systems achieving optimal product.

The book
The book presents a new conceptual approach to the systematic management of aquatic and bankside weeds, based on interdisciplinary research which combines ecological, engineering, institutional and economic perspectives. The focus is on irrigation systems within tropical and sub-tropical areas. The approach is based on field experience from schemes in Zimbabwe and Kenya but it has wider application for irrigation schemes in Sub-Saharan Africa that use open channels for delivery of irrigation water or removal of drainage water.

What it covers
The book provides practical guidance on the identification and diagnosis of problems arising from weeds in open channel systems. It describes a maintenance strategy that incorporates:

1) Recognition and understanding of aquatic weeds
2) Identification of suitable control strategies
3) Assessment of the engineering demands of a given channel
4) Quantification of economic implications

A classification of weed communities is provided to assist users to identify weeds and then select the most appropriate techniques for dealing with them.

  Information is provided on manual, mechanical, chemical and biological control methods and guidance is given on the formulation of policy - setting objectives, identifying tasks, defining methods and institutional requirements and setting budgets.

The book provides users with a process for developing a multidisciplinary approach to dealing with the problem of aquatic weeds in a cost-effective way, such that the overall efficiency of the scheme is improved. Worked examples are included which clearly illustrate to readers the method for estimating the cost of a maintenance programme.

Contributors
Water Engineering & Development Centre, Loughborough University of Technology, UK; Agricultural and Rural Development Authority, Zimbabwe; University of Zimbabwe; University of Nairobi

Intended users
The main objective is to provide information that will enable Technical field staff to manage aquatic weeds in irrigation systems more effectively and hence play a part in the drive for improved efficiency and production.

Smout, IK; Wade, PM; Barker, PJ and Ferguson, CM, 1997. Management of weeds in irrigation and drainage channels. WEDC Report. ISBN Paperback 0 906055 57 1.

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