Advancing irrigation and mechanization for smallholder farmers
The Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) at the University of Nebraska is committed to advancing practical, sustainable solutions that help smallholder farmers improve agricultural productivity, strengthen resilience and build more secure livelihoods.
From 2023 to 2025, DWFI led the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Irrigation and Mechanization Systems (ILIMS), an initiative funded by the U.S. Government that brought together researchers and partners to explore how irrigation and mechanization technologies, markets and services could become more accessible to farmers in low- and middle-income countries.
While the Innovation Lab is no longer active, the need for this work has not changed.
DWFI’s work on smallholder irrigation and agricultural mechanization continues through other initiatives and partnerships. Our research and engagement focus on understanding how farmers can gain affordable, reliable access to irrigation technologies and services; how entrepreneurs and businesses can help expand that access; and how policies, financing and markets can support sustainable agricultural development.
Current work includes extensive research on Irrigation as a Service, which explores business models that allow farmers to access irrigation equipment and services without the high upfront cost of purchasing or maintaining their own equipment. DWFI also studies investment and finance in the irrigation ecosystem, agricultural entrepreneurship and other approaches to expanding productive water access for smallholder farmers.
Together, these efforts build on the knowledge, partnerships and research developed through ILIMS while advancing DWFI’s broader commitment to sustainable smallholder agricultural water management, one of the institute’s three core focus areas.
Our work
DWFI’s past and current smallholder irrigation and mechanization research has examined:
- Access to irrigation: Understanding the technologies, services and business models that can make irrigation more accessible and affordable for smallholder farmers.
- Irrigation as a Service: Exploring models that allow farmers to access irrigation equipment and water services through rental, pay-per-use and other arrangements rather than equipment ownership.
- Agricultural mechanization: Investigating how appropriate mechanization can reduce labor burdens, improve productivity and create new opportunities for smallholder farmers.
- Entrepreneurship and markets: Supporting the entrepreneurs, businesses, finance and market systems that connect farmers with technologies and services.
- Sustainable water management: Examining how irrigation can improve productivity and resilience while protecting water resources and supporting long-term agricultural sustainability, livelihoods and human and ecosystem health.
Building on a foundation of collaboration
The partnerships and research established through ILIMS contributed to a growing body of knowledge about the opportunities and challenges of irrigation and mechanization in smallholder agriculture.
DWFI continues to work with researchers, farmers, entrepreneurs, development organizations and other partners to translate that knowledge into practical solutions that can expand equitable access to productive agricultural water management.