Adapting climate resilient center pivot irrigation system through monitoring and operating under microclimate change: The case of Wonji-Shoa Sugar Estate, Ethiopia

Abstract

Microclimate and physiological changes are consequences of the evaporation of water lost during and after irrigation and these losses depend on the application rates and irrigation duration under the center pivot irrigation system. This study analyzed the uniformity of water distribution and estimated water losses for the center pivot irrigation system, using a double row of catch can in the morning, midday and late afternoon. For this purposes multiple linear regression models were developed using the Software package for social science (SPSS) to estimate the water loss under center pivot irrigation system by determining the factors that predominately affect the applied water at Wonj-Shoa, Sugar Estate Ethiopia. The results showed that the center pivot irrigation system exhibited low distribution uniformity in the study area. The average values of coefficient of uniformity (CU) and distribution uniformity (DU), during the morning, midday and late afternoon were, 77% and 63%, 66% and 60%, 80% and 65%, respectively. At all the test times, the distribution uniformity was within the poor performance range. Water loss from the pivot ranged from 1.03% to 7.74%. The study concludes that; air temperature, relative humidity and travel speed of the last tower are the main factors that predominately negatively affect the applied water; hence, all stakeholders, government and managers of the center pivot should operate when the climate demand is low to increase the yield per applied water. This study has significant implications for improving climate resilience using precision irrigation.