Irrigation water productivity as affected by water management in a small-scale irrigation scheme in the Blue Nile basin, Ethiopia

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cg.coverage.countryEthiopiaen_US
cg.coverage.iso3166-alpha2ETen_US
cg.coverage.regionAfricaen_US
cg.coverage.regionEastern Africaen_US
cg.creator.identifierKatrien Descheemaeker: 0000-0003-0184-2034en_US
cg.creator.identifierAmare Haileslassie: 0000-0001-5237-9006en_US
cg.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1017/s0014479710000839en_US
cg.issn0014-4797en_US
cg.issn1469-4441en_US
cg.issueS1en_US
cg.journalExperimental Agricultureen_US
cg.subject.ilriNRMen_US
cg.subject.ilriWATERen_US
cg.subject.ilriLIVESTOCKen_US
cg.volume47en_US
dc.contributor.authorDemeku, S.en_US
dc.contributor.authorDescheemaeker, Katrien K.en_US
dc.contributor.authorHaileslassie, Amareen_US
dc.contributor.authorAmede, Tilahunen_US
dc.date.accessioned2011-01-15T10:02:28Zen_US
dc.date.available2011-01-15T10:02:28Zen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/3047en_US
dc.titleIrrigation water productivity as affected by water management in a small-scale irrigation scheme in the Blue Nile basin, Ethiopiaen_US
dcterms.abstractIn 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.en_US
dcterms.accessRightsLimited Accessen_US
dcterms.available2011-01-14en_US
dcterms.bibliographicCitationDemeku, S., Descheemaeker, K., Haileslassie, A. and Amede, T. 2011. Irrigation water productivity as affected by water management in a small-scale irrigation scheme in the Blue Nile basin, Ethiopia. Experimental Agriculture 47(S1): 39-55.en_US
dcterms.extentp. 39-55en_US
dcterms.issued2011-01en_US
dcterms.languageenen_US
dcterms.licenseCopyrighted; all rights reserveden_US
dcterms.publisherCambridge University Pressen_US
dcterms.subjectirrigationen_US
dcterms.subjectwateren_US
dcterms.typeJournal Articleen_US

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