This paper is a synthesis of IIMI's research on irrigation management for crop diversification in Indonesia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. It provides some conclusions and recommendations, the potentials and constraints to more intensive non-rice production during the drier part of the year in irrigation systems that have been developed primarily for rice production. The research results obtained from selected irrigation systems sites in the three countries from 1985 to date were analyzed and compared by establishing common reference points where they existed, such as common constraints, potentials and institutional arrangements and by explaining differences based on observed data for each system. Relevant secondary data other than from the research sites were located to shed further insight in the synthesis.

Improvements in rice growing technologies during the last two decades have resulted in a number of countries, especially in the humid tropical regions of Asia, nearing self-sufficiency in rice production. Consequently, policies are shifting in these countries toward minimizing the under-utilization of land by increasing the cropping intensity of irrigated areas, particularly by growing non-rice crops during the dry season. These workshop papers discuss the advantages of and constraints to crop diversification in different country situations throughout Asia.

Section I: Technical considerations for rice-based farming systems: irrigation system management; Section II: Technical considerations for rice-based farming systems: farm-level management; Section III: Technical considerations for rice-based farming systems: farming systems; Section IV: Synthesis papers.