A thesissubmitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degreeof Master of Science in Natural Resources Management, School of Environment, Resources and Development

Thesis (M. Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2016

Agriculture is strategically important sector and is a major employer and driver of economic growth. The increase in crop productivity can generate more income.There were many constraints in increasing agriculture production. Therefore, the research assessed on the constraints in agriculture production in the Dry Zone of Myanmar. The objective of the study was to investigate the crop productivity and constraints in irrigated areas where irrigation water was accessed by pumping from the river. The study focused on the crop productivity regarding with the cropping systems, cropping patterns, agronomic practices, cropping intensity and constraints in the different irrigated areas. The research was conducted on the irrigated areas under Lat Pan Chay Paw irrigation projects located in Nyaung Oo Township of Dry Zone of Myanmar. In this study, structured-survey questionnaire was used as primary data collection tools for 157 respondents. Additionally, key informant interview and farmers{u2019} focus group discussion were used to get general information and understand the situation of the study villages. In the research, quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis were also applied. The findings of the study showed that double cropping and triple cropping systems were found as the major cropping systems where irrigation water was accessed from the canal while single cropping in the place where irrigation water was accessed from private open well. The selection of crop types and varieties, agronomic practices, water management practices were different based on the different sources of availability of irrigation water. The farmers who getting irrigation water from the canalwere more likely to make profit through high cropping intensity than those from open well. According to the results, the major constraints were labor scarcity and financial problem in all irrigated areas. Moreover, irrigation water shortage, conflicts in sharing of irrigation water were found in canal irrigated areaswhile high irrigation costs in private open well. Therefore, this study pointed out the ways to increase water use efficiency, get uniformity ofwater distribution, and formulatethe better irrigation schedules based on the constraints found in each irrigatedareas.