Small-scale irrigation (SSI) technologies can be useful not only to increase crop productivity and income but also as a viable adaptation practice to climate variability. A farm simulation model (FARMSIM) and data from selected SSI technologies piloted in northern Ghana under the ‘Feed the Future-Innovation Lab for Small Scale Irrigation’ (ILSSI) project were used to assess the economic feasibility of the SSI technologies and their potential to improve income and nutrition of smallholder farm households. Three dry season irrigated crops (onion, corchorus, amaranthus) grown under three agricultural water management regimes were analysed. Results show that adoption of the SSI technologies could increase the net farm profit by 154%–608% against the baseline depending on the ‘crop type - SSI technology’ combination. Nutrition levels also improved significantly as a result of the improvements in crop yields due to irrigation and use of complementary inputs. However, the results further reveal that the options that utilize capital-intensive SSI technologies such as solar-powered water pumps to grow high value cash crops are constrained by the high investment cost. Currently, farmers tend to choose low-cost SSI technologies such as a traditional watering-cans, which generate low economic returns. Improving access to credit or alternative financing schemes could mitigate the capital constraints and enable smallholders to gain more benefits from participating in market-oriented high-value irrigated production.

小规模灌溉（SSI）技术不仅可以用于提高作物生产力和收入，而且可以作为一种可行的适应气候变化的方法。使用农场模拟模型（FARMSIM）和来自加纳北部的“为小型灌溉提供未来的创新实验室”项目（ILSSI）进行试点的SSI技术选出的数据，以评估SSI技术的经济可行性以及它们的潜力。改善小农户的收入和营养。分析了在三种农业用水管理制度下种植的三种旱季灌溉作物（洋葱，香菜，a菜）。结果表明，根据“作物类型-SSI技术”组合的不同，采用SSI技术可以使农场的净利润比基准增加154％–608％。由于灌溉和补充投入的使用，作物单产提高，营养水平也大大提高。但是，结果进一步表明，利用资本密集型SSI技术（例如太阳能水泵）种植高价值经济作物的选择受到高投资成本的限制。当前，农民倾向于选择低成本的SSI技术，例如传统的浇水罐，这些技术产生的经济收益很低。改善获得信贷或替代融资计划的途径可以减轻资本约束，并使小农户能够通过参与以市场为导向的高价值灌溉生产而获得更多利益。结果进一步表明，利用资本密集型SSI技术（例如太阳能水泵）种植高价值经济作物的选择受到高投资成本的限制。当前，农民倾向于选择低成本的SSI技术，例如传统的浇水罐，这些技术产生的经济收益很低。改善获得信贷或替代融资计划的途径可以减轻资本约束，并使小农户能够通过参与以市场为导向的高价值灌溉生产而获得更多利益。结果进一步表明，利用资本密集型SSI技术（例如太阳能水泵）种植高价值经济作物的选择受到高投资成本的限制。当前，农民倾向于选择低成本的SSI技术，例如传统的浇水罐，这些技术产生的经济收益很低。改善获得信贷或替代融资计划的途径可以减轻资本约束，并使小农户能够通过参与以市场为导向的高价值灌溉生产而获得更多利益。