scholarly journals Profitability and Water Productivity of Small Scale Irrigation Schemes in Northern Ghana

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Belinda Prekoh Bruce ◽  
Abdul-Rauf Malimanga Alhassan ◽  
Xuecheng Dou ◽  
Daxin Gong
Keyword(s):  
Random Sampling ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Northern Ghana ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Production Data ◽  
Sampling Techniques ◽  
Crop Water ◽  
Secondary Information ◽  
Small Scale Irrigation

The Savelugu-Nanton District of Northern Ghana is a beneficiary of irrigation projects mostly on small scale basis schemes. Poor data situation due to inadequate appraisal of these schemes results in difficulty to track their progress and impacts, which threatens their sustainability. This study was conducted to assess the profitability and productivity of the Libga and Bunglung small scale irrigation schemes in the District between 2013 and 2015. Sixty households were selected using random sampling techniques. Production data, costs, yield and soil data were gathered using structured questionnaires and field measurements. Data on traditional rainfed systems were gathered from secondary information. The results indicated that yields of rice were greater in Bunglung than in Libga scheme but both schemes had greater yields than rainfed systems, resulting in greater profits under irrigation. However, yields of pepper were greater in Libga than in Bunglung. Crop water productivity (CWP) in terms of harvested weight of rice was 0.50 and 0.58 kilogram per cubic meter in Libga and Bunglung respectively while CWPs in terms of gross value of harvested rice were 0.38 and 0.41 Ghana cedis per cubic meter respectively. For pepper, the CWPs were 0.74 and 0.64 kilogram per cubic meter in terms of crop weight in Libga and Bunglung respectively while CWPs in terms of gross value were 1.23 and 1.07 Ghana cedis per cubic meter respectively. Irrigation improved farmers’ incomes, however, pepper production was more profitable than rice production at both schemes. More investments by farmers are important to achieving maximum yields.

scholarly journals Integrating Participatory Data Acquisition and Modelling of Irrigation Strategies to Enhance Water Productivity in a Small‐Scale Irrigation Scheme in Tigray, Ethiopia

2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (S1) ◽  
pp. 23-37
Author(s):  
Solomon Habtu ◽  
Teklu Erkossa ◽  
Jochen Froebrich ◽  
Filmon Tquabo ◽  
Degol Fissehaye ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Acquisition ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Irrigation Scheme ◽  
Small Scale Irrigation

IRRIGATION WATER PRODUCTIVITY AS AFFECTED BY WATER MANAGEMENT IN A SMALL-SCALE IRRIGATION SCHEME IN THE BLUE NILE BASIN, ETHIOPIA

2011 ◽  
Vol 47 (S1) ◽  
pp. 39-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
SISAY DEMEKU DERIB ◽  
KATRIEN DESCHEEMAEKER ◽  
AMARE HAILESLASSIE ◽  
TILAHUN AMEDE
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Land Productivity ◽  
Irrigation Scheme ◽  
Canal Water ◽  
Water Losses ◽  
Blue Nile ◽  
Small Scale Irrigation

SUMMARYIn Ethiopia, irrigation is mainly implemented in small-scale irrigation schemes, which are often characterized by low water productivity. This study reports on the efficiency and productivity of a typical small-scale irrigation scheme in the highlands of the Blue Nile, Ethiopia. Canal water flows and the volume of irrigation water applied were measured at field level. Grain and crop residue biomass and grass biomass production along the canals were also measured. To triangulate the measurements, the irrigation farm management, effects of water logging around irrigation canals, farm water distribution mechanisms, effects of night irrigation and water losses due to soil cracking created by prolonged irrigation were closely observed. The average canal water loss from the main, the secondary and the field canals was 2.58, 1.59 and 0.39 l s−1 100 m−1, representing 4.5, 4.0 and 26% of the total water flow respectively. About 0.05% of the loss was attributed to grass production for livestock, while the rest was lost through evaporation and canal seepage. Grass production for livestock feed had a land productivity of 6190.5 kg ha−1 and a water productivity of 0.82 kg m−3. Land productivity for straw and grain was 2048 and 770 kg ha−1, respectively, for teff, and 1864 kg ha−1 and 758 kg ha−1, respectively, for wheat. Water productivities of the crops varied from 0.2 to 1.63 kg m−3. A significant volume of water was lost from small-scale irrigation systems mainly because farmers' water application did not match crop needs. The high price incurred by pumped irrigation positively affected water management by minimizing water losses and forced farmers to use deficit irrigation. Improving water productivity of small-scale irrigation requires integrated interventions including night storage mechanisms, optimal irrigation scheduling, empowerment of farmers to maintain canals and proper irrigation schedules.

scholarly journals Evaluating Irrigation and Farming Systems with Solar MajiPump in Ethiopia

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Tewodros T. Assefa ◽  
Temesgen F. Adametie ◽  
Abdu Y. Yimam ◽  
Sisay A. Belay ◽  
Yonas M. Degu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drip Irrigation ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Water Saving ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Solar Panels ◽  
Overhead Irrigation ◽  
Small Scale Irrigation

Small-scale irrigation in Ethiopia is a key strategy to improve and sustain the food production system. Besides the use of surface water for irrigation, it is essential to unlock the groundwater potential. It is equally important to use soil management and water-saving systems to overcome the declining soil fertility and the temporal water scarcity in the region. In this study, the solar MajiPump was introduced to enable dry season crop production in Ethiopia using shallow groundwater sources. The capacity of the MajiPumps (MP400 and MP200) was tested for the discharge head and discharge using three types of solar panels (150 W and 200 W rigid, and 200 W flexible). Besides, drip irrigation and conservation agriculture (CA) farming systems were evaluated in terms of water productivity and crop yield in comparison to the farmers’ practice (overhead irrigation and tilled farming system). Results indicated that the maximum discharge head capacity of the MajiPumps was 18 m, 14 m, 10 m when using MP400 with 200 W rigid, MP400 with 200 W flexible, and MP200 with 150 W rigid solar panels, respectively. The corresponding MajiPump flow rates ranged from 7.8 L/min to 24.6 L/min, 3 L/min to 25 L/min, and 3.6 L/min to 22.2 L/min, respectively. Compared to farmer’s practice, water productivity was significantly improved under the CA farming and the drip irrigation systems for both irrigated vegetables (garlic, onion, cabbage, potato) and rainfed maize production. The water productivity of garlic, cabbage, potato, and maize was increased by 256%, 43%, 53%, and 9%, respectively, under CA as compared to conventional tillage (CT) even under overhead irrigation. Thus, farmers can obtain a significant water-saving benefit from CA regardless of water application systems. However, water and crop productivity could be further improved in the combined use of MajiPump with CA and drip irrigation (i.e., 38% and 33% water productivity and 43% and 36% crop productivity improvements were observed for potato and onion, respectively). Similarly, compared to CT, the use of CA significantly increased garlic, cabbage, potato, and maize yield by 170%, 42%, 43%, and 15%, respectively under the MajiPump water-lifting system. Overall, the solar-powered drip irrigation and CA farming system were found to be efficient to expand small-scale irrigation and improve productivity and livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Ethiopia.

Analysis of water quality of selected irrigation water sources in northern Ghana

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1308-1317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davie Kadyampakeni ◽  
Richard Appoh ◽  
Jennie Barron ◽  
Enoch Boakye-Acheampong
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Water Sources ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Northern Ghana ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Irrigation Development ◽  
Sodium Percent ◽  
Small Scale Irrigation

Abstract Small-scale irrigation continues to cushion the food security gap in sub-Saharan Africa. Irrigation is largely governed by water availability, soil type and crop water requirements, among other factors. Thus, a study was conducted to assess the suitability of various water sources for irrigation in northern Ghana. Specifically, the study sought to assess quality of water sources in the Savelugu, Kasena-Nankana East, and Nabdam districts for small-scale irrigation development. The water quality parameters used were: pH, electrical conductivity (ECw), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), sodium percent (Na%), soluble sodium percentage (SSP), magnesium adsorption ratio (MAR), Kelley's ratio (KR), total hardness (TH), chloride (Cl), Escherichia coli, and fecal coliforms. While we found most of the irrigation water sources, including small reservoirs, dams, wells and rivers suitable, few unsuitable irrigation water sources were also identified. Overall, the study found that opportunities for scaling small-scale irrigation exist in all the sites. The knowledge generated from this study will guide irrigation water use, and agricultural policy for sustainable smallholder irrigation development in the region.

Economic and food security effects of small-scale irrigation technologies in northern Ghana

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 100141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bedru B. Balana ◽  
Jean-Claude Bizimana ◽  
James W. Richardson ◽  
Nicole Lefore ◽  
Zenebe Adimassu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Northern Ghana ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Irrigation Technologies ◽  
Small Scale Irrigation
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