scholarly journals Conservation Agriculture Saves Irrigation Water in the Dry Monsoon Phase in the Ethiopian Highlands

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sisay A. Belay ◽  
Petra Schmitter ◽  
Abeyou W. Worqlul ◽  
Tammo S. Steenhuis ◽  
Manuel R. Reyes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
Irrigation Scheduling ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Ethiopian Highlands ◽  
Irrigation Water Use ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Yield Responses ◽  
Irrigation Practices

Water resources in sub-Saharan Africa are more overstressed than in many other regions of the world. Experiments on commercial farms have shown that conservation agriculture (CA) can save water and improve the soil. Nevertheless, its benefits on smallholder irrigated farms have not been adequately investigated, particularly in dry monsoon phase in the Ethiopian highlands. We investigated the effect of conservation agriculture (grass mulch cover and no-tillage) on water-saving on smallholder farms in the Ethiopian highlands. Irrigated onion and garlic were grown on local farms. Two main factors were considered: the first factor was conservation agriculture versus conventional tillage, and the second factor was irrigation scheduling using reference evapotranspiration (ETo) versus irrigation scheduling managed by farmers. Results showed that for both onion and garlic, the yield and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) was over 40% greater for CA than conventional tillage (CT). The soil moisture after irrigation was higher in CA compared with CT treatment while CA used 49 mm less irrigation water. In addition, we found that ETo-based irrigation was superior to the farmers’ irrigation practices for both crops. IWUE was lower in farmers irrigation practices due to lower onion and garlic yield responses to overirrigation and greater water application variability.

scholarly journals Experimental Evaluation for the Impacts of Conservation Agriculture with Drip Irrigation on Crop Coefficient and Soil Properties in the Sub-Humid Ethiopian Highlands

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 947 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdu Y. Yimam ◽  
Tewodros T. Assefa ◽  
Nigus F. Adane ◽  
Seifu A. Tilahun ◽  
Manoj K. Jha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Drip Irrigation ◽  
Irrigation System ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Crop Coefficient ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Ethiopian Highlands ◽  
Irrigation Water Use

A field experiment consists of conservation agriculture (CA) and conventional tillage (CT) practices were set up in two areas, Robit and Dangishta, in sub-humid Ethiopian highlands. Irrigation water use, soil moisture, and agronomic data were monitored, and laboratory testing was conducted for soil samples, which were collected from 0 to 40 cm depth before planting and after harvest during the study period of 2015–2017. Calculation of crop coefficient (Kc) revealed a significant decrease in Kc values under CA as compared to CT. The result depicted that CA with a drip irrigation system significantly (α = 0.05) reduced Kc values of crops as compared to CT. Specifically, 20% reductions were observed for onion, cabbage, and garlic under CA whereas 10% reductions were observed for pepper throughout the crop base period. Consequently, irrigation water measurement showed that about 18% to 28% of a significant irrigation water savings were observed for the range of vegetables under CA as compared to CT. On the other hand, the results of soil measurement showed the CA practice significantly (α = 0.05) increased soil moisture (4%, 7%, 8%, and 10% increment for onion, cabbage, garlic, pepper) than CT practice even if irrigation input was small in CA practice. In addition, CA was found to improve the soil physico-chemical properties with significant improvement on organic matter (10%), field capacity (4%), and total nitrogen (10%) in the Dangishta experimental site. CA with drip irrigation is evidenced to be an efficient water-saving technology while improving soil properties to support sustainable intensification in the region.

Irrigation practices on north-east Victorian dairy farms: a survey

2005 ◽  
Vol 45 (12) ◽  
pp. 1539 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Watson ◽  
G. Drysdale
Keyword(s):  
Water Use ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Irrigation System ◽  
Sprinkler Irrigation ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Irrigation Scheduling ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
North East ◽  
Irrigation Water Use ◽  
Irrigation Practices

The north-east region of Victoria is an important water-harvesting catchment for gravity-fed irrigators downstream of Lake Mulwala. Dairy farmers are significant users of irrigation water in north-east Victoria but little was known about their irrigation practices and attitudes. A survey undertaken in 2000 collected data on irrigation practices and attitudes from 92% of the irrigating dairy farmers in the region. It found diversity in many aspects of irrigation amongst the region’s irrigated dairy farms, ranging from the proportion of the farm irrigated to the irrigation system used, and identified areas where improvements to irrigation practices could be made. More than 8 different irrigation systems were used in the region, and flood irrigation was the most commonly used. However, a large proportion (37%) of flood irrigators were contemplating changing to spray irrigation, mostly to long lateral hand move sprinkler irrigation, in an effort to improve water use efficiency. More than 50% of respondents did not meter irrigation water use, and 83% pumped water directly from rivers or creeks, with dams and dragline holes the next most common sources. Irrigation scheduling (when to start irrigating and the frequency of irrigation thereafter) and the amount of water to apply were generally based on knowledge and experience rather than on soil moisture monitoring equipment or use of evaporation rates. Most survey respondents recognised that their irrigation practices could improve and said that they would be interested in information to help them make more informed decisions about irrigation practices.

scholarly journals Modeling the Impacts of Conservation Agriculture with a Drip Irrigation System on the Hydrology and Water Management in Sub-Saharan Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 4763 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tewodros Assefa ◽  
Manoj Jha ◽  
Manuel Reyes ◽  
Abeyou Worqlul
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Drip Irrigation ◽  
Irrigation System ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Irrigation Scheduling ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Biophysical Model ◽  
Cropping Pattern ◽  
Drip Irrigation System ◽  
Sub Saharan

The agricultural system in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is dominated by traditional farming practices with poor soil and water management, which contributes to soil degradation and low crop productivity. This study integrated field experiments and a field-scale biophysical model (Agricultural Policy Environmental Extender, APEX) to investigate the impacts of conservation agriculture (CA) with a drip irrigation system on the hydrology and water management as compared to the conventional tillage (CT) practice. Field data were collected from four study sites; Dangishita and Robit (Ethiopia), Yemu (Ghana), and Mkindo (Tanzania) to validate APEX for hydrology and crop yield simulation. Each study site consisted of 100 m2 plots divided equally between CA and CT practices and both had a drip irrigation setup. Cropping pattern, management practices, and irrigation scheduling were monitored for each experimental plot. Significant water savings (α = 0.05) were observed under CA practice; evapotranspiration and runoff were reduced by up to 49% and 62%, respectively, whereas percolation increased up to three-fold. Consequently, irrigation water need was reduced in CA plots by about 14–35% for various crops. CA coupled with drip irrigation was found to be an efficient water saving technology and has substantial potential to sustain and intensify crop production in the region.

scholarly journals Experimental Evaluation of Conservation Agriculture with Drip Irrigation for Water Productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tewodros Assefa ◽  
Manoj Jha ◽  
Manuel Reyes ◽  
Seifu Tilahun ◽  
Abeyou Worqlul
Keyword(s):  
Water Use ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Drip Irrigation ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Irrigation System ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Drip Irrigation System ◽  
Irrigation Water Use

A field-scale experimental study was conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa (Ethiopia and Ghana) to examine the effects of conservation agriculture (CA) with drip irrigation system on water productivity in vegetable home gardens. CA here refers to minimum soil disturbance (no-till), year-round organic mulch cover, and diverse cropping in the rotation. A total of 28 farmers (13 farmers in Ethiopia and 15 farmers in Ghana) participated in this experiment. The experimental setup was a paired ‘t’ design on a 100 m2 plot; where half of the plot was assigned to CA and the other half to conventional tillage (CT), both under drip irrigation system. Irrigation water use and crop yield were monitored for three seasons in Ethiopia and one season in Ghana for vegetable production including garlic, onion, cabbage, tomato, and sweet potato. Irrigation water use was substantially lower under CA, 18% to 45.6%, with a substantial increase in crop yields, 9% to about two-fold, when compared with CT practice for the various vegetables. Crop yields and irrigation water uses were combined into one metric, water productivity, for the statistical analysis on the effect of CA with drip irrigation system. One-tailed paired ‘t’ test statistical analysis was used to examine if the mean water productivity in CA is higher than that of CT. Water productivity was found to be significantly improved (α = 0.05) under the CA practice; 100%, 120%, 222%, 33%, and 49% for garlic, onion, tomato, cabbage, and sweet potato respectively. This could be due to the improvement of soil quality and structure due to CA practice, adding nutrients to the soil and sticking soil particles together (increase soil aggregates). Irrigation water productivity for tomato under CA (5.17 kg m−3 in CA as compared to 1.61 kg m−3 in CT) is found to be highest when compared to water productivity for the other vegetables. The mulch cover provided protection for the tomatoes from direct contact with the soil and minimized the chances of soil-borne diseases. Adapting to CA practices with drip irrigation in vegetable home gardens is, therefore, a feasible strategy to improve water use efficiency, and to intensify crop yield, which directly contributes towards the sustainability of livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the region.

scholarly journals Optimization of irrigation water in South Africa for sustainable and beneficial use

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Akinola Mayowa Ikudayisi
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Optimization Algorithm ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Irrigation Scheduling ◽  
Crop Water ◽  
Land Area ◽  
Water Requirements ◽  
Irrigation Water Use

Water is an essential natural resource for human existence and survival on the earth. South Africa, a water stressed country, allocates a high percentage of its available consumptive water use to irrigation. Therefore, it is necessary that we optimize water use in order to enhance food security. This study presents the development of mathematical models for irrigation scheduling of crops, optimal irrigation water release and crop yields in Vaal Harts irrigation scheme (VIS) of South Africa. For efficient irrigation water management, an accurate estimation of reference evapotranspiration (ETₒ) should be carried out. However, due to non-availability of enough historical data for the study area, mathematical models were developed to estimate ETₒ. A 20-year monthly meteorological data was collected and analysed using two data–driven modeling techniques namely principal component analysis (PCA) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS). Furthermore, an artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed for real time prediction of future ETₒ for the study area. The real time irrigation scheduling of potatoes was developed using a crop growth simulation model called CROPWAT. It was used to determine the crop water productivity (CWP), which is a determinant of the relationship between water applied and crop yield. Finally, a new and novel evolutionary multi-objective optimization algorithm called combined Pareto multi-objective differential evolution (CPMDE) was applied to optimize irrigation water use and crop yield on the VIS farmland. The net irrigation benefit, land area and irrigation water use of maize, potatoes and groundnut were optimized. Results obtained show that ETₒ increases with temperature and windspeed. Other variables such as rainfall and relative humidity have less significance on the value of ETₒ. Also, ANN models with one hidden layer showed better predictive performance compared with other considered configurations. A 5-day time step irrigation schedule data and graphs showing the crop water requirements and irrigation water requirements was generated. This would enable farmers know when, where, and how much water to apply to a given farmland. Finally, the employed CPMDE optimization algorithm produced a set of non-dominated Pareto optimal solutions. The best solution suggests that maize, groundnut and potatoes should be planted on 403543.44 m2, 181542.00 m2 and 352876.05 m2areas of land respectively. This solution generates a total net benefit of ZAR 767,961.49, total planting area of 937961.49 m2 and irrigation water volume of 391,061.52 m3. Among the three crops optimized, maize has the greatest land area, followed by potatoes and groundnut. This shows that maize is more profitable than potatoes and groundnut with respect to crop yield and water use in the study area.

scholarly journals Orchard Level Assessment of Irrigation Performance and Water Productivity of an Irrigation Community in Eastern Spain

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1829
Author(s):  
Herminia Puerto ◽  
Miguel Mora ◽  
Bernat Roig-Merino ◽  
Ricardo Abadía-Sánchez ◽  
José María Cámara-Zapata ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Distribution Networks ◽  
Irrigation Scheduling ◽  
Irrigation Performance ◽  
Irrigation Water Use ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Fruit Orchards ◽  
Peach Trees

Over the last three decades, a great investment effort has been made in the modernization of irrigation in the Valencian Community (Spain). The initial change from distribution networks to pressurized ones and the shift towards drip irrigation systems was followed by improvements in irrigation scheduling, based on agrometeorological data, soil water content sensors, and remote sensing. These improvements are considered adequate for increasing irrigation water use efficiency, but it is difficult to find systematic measurements to assess its impacts on irrigation adequacy along with irrigation productivity in fruit orchards. This work presents the results of a four year assessment of irrigation water and energy use efficiency along with water productivity of a recently established irrigation community in the province of Valencia (Spain). The study was carried out at the orchard level and focused on two fruit crops: persimmon and peach trees. Six irrigation performance indicators, relative water supply (RWS), relative irrigation supply (RIS), yield performance (Yp), global water productivity (WPoverall), output per unit irrigation water (OUI), and the percent of nitrogen fertilization obtained by irrigation water, were defined and calculated for years 2017 to 2020 in 104 persimmon and peach orchards. The results showed that most of the farmers irrigated below the crop water requirements, showing RWS and RIS values less than 1, and there was great variability among farmers, especially in WPoverall and OUI indicators.

scholarly journals The Response of Water and Nutrient Dynamics and of Crop Yield to Conservation Agriculture in the Ethiopian Highlands

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (15) ◽  
pp. 5989 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sisay A. Belay ◽  
Tewodros T. Assefa ◽  
P. V. Vara Prasad ◽  
Petra Schmitter ◽  
Abeyou W. Worqlul ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Use ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Nutrient Dynamics ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Soil Disturbance ◽  
Green Pepper ◽  
Irrigation Water Use ◽  
Supplementary Irrigation

Smallholder agriculture constitutes the main source of livelihood for the Ethiopian rural community. However, soil degradation and uneven distribution of rainfall have threatened agriculture at present. This study is aimed at investigating the impacts of conservation agriculture on irrigation water use, nutrient availability in the root zone, and crop yield under supplementary irrigation. In this study, conservation agriculture (CA), which includes minimum soil disturbance, grass mulch cover, and crop rotation, was practiced and compared with conventional tillage (CT). We used two years’ (2018 and 2019) experimental data under paired-t design in the production of a local variety green pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). The results showed that CA practices significantly (α = 0.05) reduced irrigation water use (13% to 29%) and runoff (29% to 51%) while it increased percolated water in the root zone (27% to 50%) when compared with CT practices under the supplementary irrigation phase. In addition, CA significantly decreased NO3-N in the leachate (14% to 44%) and in the runoff (about 100%), while PO4-P significantly decreased in the leachate (33% to 50%) and in the runoff (16%) when compared with CT. Similarly, CA decreased the NO3-N load in the leachate and in the runoff, while the PO4-P load increased in the leachate but decreased in the runoff. The yield return that was achieved under CA treatment was 30% higher in 2018 and 10% higher in 2019 when compared with the CT. This research improves our understanding of water and nutrient dynamics in green pepper grown under CA and CT. Use of CA provides opportunities to optimize water use by decreasing irrigation water requirements and optimize nutrient use by decreasing nutrient losses through the runoff and leaching.

scholarly journals Potential and Actual Water Savings through Improved Irrigation Scheduling in Small-Scale Vegetable Production

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 888 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Studer ◽  
Simon Spoehel
Keyword(s):  
Water Use ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Drip Irrigation ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Irrigation Scheduling ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Vegetable Production ◽  
Usual Practice ◽  
Irrigation Water Use ◽  
Small Scale Farmers

Appropriate irrigation scheduling for efficient water use is often a challenge for small-scale farmers using drip irrigation. In a trial with 12 farmers in Sébaco, Nicaragua, two tools to facilitate irrigation scheduling were tested: the Water Chart (a table indicating required irrigation doses) and tensiometers. The study aimed at evaluating if and to what extent simple tools can reduce irrigation water use and improve water productivity in drip-irrigated vegetable (beetroot; Beta vulgaris L.) production compared with the farmers’ usual practice. Irrigation water use was substantially reduced (around 20%) when farmers irrigated according to the tools. However, farmers did not fully adhere to the tool guidance, probably because they feared that their crop would not get sufficient water. Thus they still over-irrigated their crop: between 38% and 88% more water than recommended was used during the treatment period, resulting in 91% to 139% higher water use than required over the entire growing cycle. Water productivity of beetroot production was, therefore, much lower (around 3 kg/m3) than what can be achieved under comparable conditions, although yields were decent. Differences in crop yield and water productivity among treatments were not significant. The simplified Water Chart was not sufficiently understandable to farmers (and technicians), whereas tensiometers were better perceived, although they do not provide any indication on how much water to apply. We conclude that innovations such as drip irrigation or improved irrigation scheduling have to be appropriately introduced, e.g., by taking sufficient time to co-produce a common understanding about the technologies and their possible usefulness, and by ensuring adequate follow-up support.

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