Abstract
Irrigated agriculture plays a major role in food security, producing nearly 40 percent (%) of food and agricultural commodities. Well-organized use of water is seen as a key to crop production in semi-arid and arid areas of Ethiopia. For smallholder farmers, low-cost drip irrigation systems provide a means of maximizing return on their cropland by increasing the agricultural productivity per unit of land; and through increasing cropping intensity during the dry season. Pre-extension of low-cost and appropriate micro-irrigation system had been designed and carried out in Ofla district, Fala kebelle to create awareness for smallholder farmers about yield optimizing technologies like drip irrigation and to offers a viable opportunity for sustainably increasing household income through the use of low-cost drip irrigation. A family drip irrigation and surface irrigation system have been used for the pre demonstration and a Mareko Fana pepper variety was undertaken. The result indicated drip irrigation method saved 43.42% water and gave 32.2% more yield as compared to that of surface irrigation system in the demonstrated district. And higher water productivity about 4.36 kg/m 3 was obtained in drip irrigation method; whereas lower productivity was obtained in surface irrigation system. drip irrigation system was working satisfactorily according to its design and farmer, development agents and woreda expert have positively perceived in drip irrigation as compared to surface irrigation system. Keywords: Pre-demonstration, Drip irrigation, Surface system, Pepper, Water productivity, Farmer DOI: 10.7176/JEES/11-2-02 Publication date: February 28 th 2021
Highlights
Water is essential substance for sustaining life on the earth
The highest marketable fruit yield of pepper was recorded from drip irrigation (18.89 ton/ha) whereas, surface irrigation systems were observed lower fruit yield of pepper
These results suggest that total yield of pepper under drip irrigation system was more as compared to surface irrigation system
Summary
Its consumption by the agriculture sector continues to dominant the overall requirements of water. More over the increasing population, urbanization and unsustainable consumption of water have further imposed the greater demands on water in arid and semi regions of the. According to (Awulachew et al, 2007), “Ensuring food security in areas with a high-population pressure and fragile resource conditions such as the semi-arid highlands of Ethiopia represents a great deal of challenge. Increasing agricultural productivity in Ethiopia is a means both to improve the livelihoods of rural people and the sustainability of the economy.”. Poor performance of agricultural sector, mainly due to erratic and uncertain rainfall, as well as poor water management strategies make the rural household of the country no to withstand the declines in their income Increasing agricultural productivity in Ethiopia is a means both to improve the livelihoods of rural people and the sustainability of the economy.” Poor performance of agricultural sector, mainly due to erratic and uncertain rainfall, as well as poor water management strategies make the rural household of the country no to withstand the declines in their income
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