Abstract
Estimating the conveyance efficiency of traditional irrigation schemes systems is very important. It is because of understanding the volume of water lost along with the transportation facility, enhancing water usage and productivity, hence making better decisions about the utilization of water resources. The objective of the study was to determine water abstraction permit compliances and estimate conveyance efficiency and crop and water productivity of traditional irrigation systems in northern Tanzania. The task involved measurement of irrigation water flows to determine the amount of water abstraction, inflow (head) and outflow (tail) between the canals to determine the conveyance efficiency of the main, secondary, and tertiary canals of the traditional irrigation systems. Moreover, water and yield obtained at the farm level were determined. Results indicate that approximately 72% of water transported reaches the destined farm which produced maize (Zea mays L) yields of 1054.5 kg/ha, 892.4 kg/ha, and 875.156 kg/ha at downstream, midstream, and upstream which equals 0.41 kg/m3, 0.15 kg/m3, and 0.09 kg/m3, respectively, while about 28% of water is lost along the canals through evaporation, seepage, and deep percolation and overtopping. Consequently, water measured at furrow intakes in total was 3,500 L/s, equal to 23% more than the permitted amount of 2856.14 L/s at Usa River Catchment. Interventions to minimize water losses starting at the furrow’s intakes are urgently required in the current trend of the increasing demand for water resources for food production and schemes performance. Subsequently, more effective conveyance technologies and water management strategies other than canal lining are required.
Highlights
Rain-fed agriculture’s contribution to food production is about 60%; the other 40% is supplemented by irrigated agriculture [1]
Conclusion and Recommendations e traditional irrigation system in the catchment needs improvements of water utilization for easy and sustainable management of water for irrigation and enhanced agricultural crop productivity. e proper and designed infrastructure of the irrigation schemes contributes to reliable water allocation and efficient water supply to the destined command area
Usa River Catchment (URC) traditional irrigation schemes infrastructure system contains various constraints at the institutional and local level of utilization of this scarce water resource. ese include water allocation, distribution, irrigation scheduling and maintenance of water channel, weak stakeholders involvement, and indifference in local and central administration. e provision of these administrative infrastructures and agronomy in the system will improve the provision of irrigation water supply services in the catchment which will be reliable and efficient. is measure will bring a positive effect to the irrigation water supply and allocation in the basins’ irrigation schemes
Summary
Rain-fed agriculture’s contribution to food production is about 60%; the other 40% is supplemented by irrigated agriculture [1]. Approximately 277 million hectares of agricultural land is under irrigation (about 20% of cultivated land), contributing 40% of the food supplies with 2.3 higher yields compared to rain-fed agriculture as described by Adejumobi et al [3]. E SSA irrigated agriculture is said to use less than 2% of the total renewable water resources to irrigate a land of six million hectares, which is equal to 6% of the total irrigable land. Asia region uses 37% and Latin America uses 17% of its total renewable water resources, which seem to be higher than SSA [1]. Utilization of water for irrigation needs a lot of attention in the catchment with scarce water resource. e performance indication of the irrigation schemes is revealed from the irrigation efficiency
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