Abstract
<jats:p>Optimizing agricultural productivity depends on sustainable water management, which is essential for minimizing losses in irrigated perimeters. This study assesses the efficiency of water use at plot level in the Masina Rail 1 irrigated perimeter, located in the N'djili basin in Kinshasa. It aims to inventory irrigation techniques, quantify the water supplied to crops and estimate irrigation efficiency. Direct observations and surveys were used to identify the irrigation systems in use. The results show that over 70% of farmers (142 out of 190) use manual watering. Water requirements for vegetable crops amounted to 14,575.76 m³ for 19 ha, with okra dominating on 13.7 ha. Soil texture is 31.4% sand, 18.1% silt and 50.6% clay. The amount of water applied is 31,380 m³, and tomatoes require a high irrigation rate of 158 mm per decade. Irrigation efficiency varies between 42% and 66%, with an average of 46%, indicating a low overall system efficiency. The study therefore recommends improving irrigation efficiency by adopting more modern methods, such as precision irrigation, to optimize the use of water resources.</jats:p>