On-farm adoption of irrigation technologies in two irrigated valleys in Central Chile: The effect of relative abundance of water resources

This paper examines the adoption of irrigation technologies and the underlying diversity in terms of intensity of adoption in 2 irrigated valleys in Central Chile. Results show a low and narrow range of adoption, with only 30 % of farmers adopting technologies. Through a Latent Class Analysis, 2 types of farmers were identified, a small group comprising moderate to intensive users, and a second one consisting of the majority of farmers mostly constrained in natural capital. Furthermore, the econometric analysis indicates that education, diversification, continuous access to water, and perception of water reliability increase the adoption. Conversely, higher water-land ratios, presence of community reservoirs, and earthen canals reduce the uptake. Overall, the dominance of fruit and horticulture production, access to agricultural credits, and full irrigation of the farm are the main drivers of adoption. The latter is a critical factor, indicating a relative abundance of water resources, which, alongside contextual characteristics, discourages farmers from implementing technologies. The low adoption rate, as well as the hindering factors, will challenge public and private organizations to design and implement policies aiming to improve water reliability and management. To generate incentives and increase awareness on the scarcity of the resource in the light of the predicted reductions in water availability because of climate change will be crucial as well.