Effects Of Rainwater Harvesting Research Articles

A Novel Rainfall Classification for Mapping Rainwater Harvesting: A Case Study in Kalar, Iraq

Increasing water demand driven by population growth and climate change strains water resources, especially in arid regions. The effectiveness of rainwater harvesting (RWH) as a viable solution is contingent upon the meticulous selection of appropriate sites. Contemporary efforts have increasingly utilized Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing technologies to optimize the identification of ideal locations for implementing RWH infrastructure. However, inconsistencies in rainfall classification methodologies can compromise the accuracy of the resulted suitability maps. Consequently, a standardized approach to grading rainfall depth for mapping RWH sites becomes imperative. This study presents an innovative rainfall classification method tailored for both micro and macro catchment areas, offering a reliable and adaptable approach to rainfall analysis. By refining classification criteria, this method aims to improve the consistency and precision of RWH mapping, addressing a gap in existing methodologies and providing a more standardized approach. Through the application of FAHP and Fuzzy overlay techniques in ArcGIS 10.4, the study compares traditional rainfall classification with the proposed new classification method to assess RWH suitability in Kalar. The comparison highlights that the new rainfall classification-based map yielded higher accuracy and realism compared to traditional methods.

Effect of Rainwater Harvesting on Residential Water Use: Empirical Case Study

AbstractRainwater harvesting (RWH) through household rainwater tanks has been increasingly recognized as a supplementary source of water in most urban cities. Previous studies indicated wide variat...

The Effectiveness of Rain Water Harvesting for Sustainable Practices in West Hararghe Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

This study was conducted in West Hararghe Zone, Oromia regional state to evaluate rain water harvesting Effectiveness for sustainable practices. The data were collected from a total 336 household selected randomly. The data’s obtained were analyzed qualitatively. The study reviled that Rain water harvesting is one of the most important means to increase agricultural productivity and source of a domestic water supply for drought prone of Western Hararghe Zones. Specifically, in selected kebeles of Miesso district there is no access of perennial spring and river. Ground water also found at very deeper and can’t be extracted by their current economic and educational status. In line with this about 83.6% of the farmers were implemented rain water harvesting practices on their farm land and communal land to minimize the risks associated with scarcity of rainfall. From these value 97.3% were in Miesso district. In agreement with this, 54.8% of the house holders have been using roof top water harvesting system in this study area. Specifically, about 25% of the respondents use roof top water harvesting system in Miesso district. Additionally, about 30.1% of the farmers were constructed family pond on their farm land for vegetable/horticultural crop production, cash crops (chat) and also for livestock. Contour ridges were implemented by 89.3% and 92.4% of the farmers in Miesso and Habro districts, respectively. Similarly, 73.8% of the respondents in the study area were implemented flood water diversion to their farm land. Accordingly, 30.8% and 20.5% of the respondents from Habro and Miesso district state preferred flooding WH system than others techniques.

Potential of harvesting rainwater from vertical surfaces

The water supply chain is under increasing stress as urbanization and population growth is driving more and more people to move to cities. An increasing amount of city planners are now looking for alternative water resources, rainwater being one of them. There are multiple benefits to on-site water collection, storage and use, as proven by multiple published studies and successful projects around the world; however, rainwater harvesting (RWH) has remained a niche technique, not seen as part of the mainstream. One of the reasons for this is that, traditionally, rainwater has only been collected from rooves and other horizontal surfaces, and then transferred and stored in various subsurface holding tanks. This method of RWH is dated and not very effective. Furthermore, rainwater is one of the purest water sources, but when collected from horizontal surfaces, it gets polluted with particles that have settled on those surfaces. As a result, RWH in this way can be used only for specific purposes. In order to fully utilize this natural resource, to enable the creation of sustainable cities, we must devise a new method for collecting rainwater. One aspect of RWH that has not yet been deeply explored is collecting it from vertical surfaces. Although some abstract studies have already been conducted, concerning water runoff from vertical surfaces, no studies have evaluated the possibility of harvesting and using such water. In this paper, the impacts of different sets of conditions and variables on the performance of RWH systems mounted on vertical surfaces, such as building facades, are compared. In addition, this study aimed to evaluate the potential of such systems to be used in real-world projects around the globe. To accurately measure collected rainwater, an experimental stand was constructed. This stand consisted of a mechanism that allowed the water-collecting surface and its parameters to be changed, whilst also measuring various aspects of the weather and the amount of water that was successfully harvested. The experiments were conducted in both a controlled environment (laboratory) and under real (natural) conditions.The results of this study provide a more accurate evaluation of how vertical RWH systems can be implemented in real-life projects around the globe, and show how natural conditions and the surfaces used can change the effectiveness of RWH. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.sace.23.2.21606

Studying the effect of rain water harvesting from roof surfaces on runoff and household consumption reduction

Flood is the greatest environmental challenge for Hamadan city. In the absence of urban sewage systems, in most parts of the study area, rainwater harvesting (RWH) from roofs, parking areas and roads could play a crucial role in reducing flood proneness and providing household consumption. In this study, to assess effect of RWH on magnitude of runoff volume and various household consumption, firstly, flood volume with various return periods was calculated by using SCS method in the HEC-HMS model as a popular and effective method in flood hazard studies. In the next step, to assess effect of RWH system on flood volume magnitude with the assumption that the entire residential buildings in the city of Hamadan use RWH system, a divert element with constant flow whose amount was as much as RWH from rooftops was subtracted from each sub basin in the HEC-HMS model. Result indicated that reduction effect of the RWH system on runoff volume magnitude varied from 145.95 to 333.06 with 24 h precipitation for 2–100 years. On the other hand, this amount of reduction effect could meet household consumption need from 202.50 to 462.11%, and its economic aspect ranged from 10,008.98 to 22,840.65 (USD).

The Optimazing Used of Rainwater Harvesting on Flats as an Effort to Reveal Eco-Architecture

<p>Clean water supply for urban residents is very important. The issues related to<br />clean water are raising in line with the development of cities as it is happened in Yogyakarta. Yogyakarta is one of the major cities with high population growth in Indonesia. This leads to the increased demand of community housing. The<br />Government of Yogyakarta is continiously addressing the needs of urban settelements by building flats as one of the many ways to solve the related problems. The construction of settlement facilities should consider the availability of clean water. Thus, it is mandatory for the building contructors to provide a large available capacity of clean water for the residents to solve urban water crisis problems. The concept of rainwater harvesting is a concept intending to save the use and the management of water supply to meet the needs of the building. This concept provides an alternative source of clean water by utilizing rainwater. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of rainwater harvesting used in flats building towards the reduction of clean water needs. This is an explorative comparative study on flats building design and flats clean water needs of two flats in Yogyakarta. This study is to provide a general description of the potential use of the concept of rainwater harvesting in building flats to reduce clean water requirements of a building. It is concluded that the potential use of rainwater (rainwater harvesting) on building flats could reduce the need for cleanwater of its inhabitants. This will reduce the energy requirements in the provision of cleanwater in the buildings. It is also recommended that the design of the buildings should integrate the concept of rainwater harvesting as a way in developing an eco architecture building.<br />Keywords: Clean water needs, Rain-water harvesting, Flats, Eco-architecture</p>

Storm Water Harvesting in Saudi Arabia: a Multipurpose Water Management Alternative

This work evaluates the potential for rainwater harvesting at the household level in the dry climate of Saudi Arabia. The amounts of rainwater that can be harvested in several cities in Saudi Arabia were estimated and it was found that a significant volume, exceeding 7.5 m3/100 m2 per year, can be harvested. The per cubic meter cost of harvesting rainwater was compared to that of producing desalinated water. It was found that harvested rainwater is cheaper to capture than desalinated water produced from renewable energy-driven desalination plants, but that is not the case for fossil fuel-powered desalination. The study also considered the effects of rainwater harvesting on mitigating floods and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A cost-benefit analysis of installing rooftop rainwater harvesting systems in Saudi Arabia was performed. It revealed that it is economically feasible to harvest rain in cities including Hail, Jeddah, Taif, and Riyadh, while it is not recommended in the holy cities of Makkah, Medina, and Buraidah.

Effect of rain water harvesting and mulch material on soil moisture regimes, fertility status and yield of almond under rainfed conditions of north western Himalayas

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of rain water harvesting and mulching techniques for rainfed almond production during 2008–09 and 2009–10 at Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. Five water harvesting systems (half-moon, full-moon, trench, cup and plate and control) and three mulching (plastic, organic and control) were evaluated in factorial randomized block design. The experimental results clearly indicated that maximum plant height (4.4 m), trunk cross sectional area (193 cm2), canopy volume (28.2 m3), nut wt. (1.68 g), yield (3.35 kg/tree), soil moisture content (14%) and soil fertility (0.66% soil organic carbon 516 kg N, 26.3 kg P and 304 kg K ha−1) were recorded in full-moon water harvesting system. Productivity efficiency (18.18 g cm−2 TCSA) was higher in trench water harvesting system. Among mulches, plastic mulch performed better in respect to TCSA (166 cm2), yield (3.02 kg/tree), productivity efficiency (18.19 g cm−2 TCSA) and soil moisture content (14.8, 14.2, 13.2, 12.7 and 12.3%). Whereas, organic mulch registered the highest soil fertility status. Interaction effect of water harvesting and mulching indicated that growth, yield, productivity efficiency and soil moisture status were recorded in full-moon water harvesting + plastic mulch in almond ‘Non Pareil‘ under rainfed conditions of Kashmir valley.

Modeling the Effect of Cistern Size, Soil Type, and Irrigation Scheduling on Rainwater Harvesting as a Stormwater Control Measure

Urban stormwater runoff could have negative impacts on water resources and the environment. Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) can serve both as a stormwater control and water conservation measure. Cistern size and irrigation scheduling are two of the factors that directly impact the total runoff from a residential unit with a RWH system and the amount of potable water used for irrigation. The effectiveness of RWH was evaluated for four soil types; Sand, Sandy Loam, Loamy Sand, and Silty Clay, with a root zone of 15.2 cm using three irrigation scheduling methods (Evapotranspiration (ET)-based, soil moisture-based, and time-based), and five cistern sizes. Total runoff volumes and total supplemental potable water used were compared among the three irrigation scheduling systems and a control treatment without RWH. A model was developed to simulate the daily water balance for the treatments. Irrigation and runoff volumes were compared for the various scenarios. Silty clay soil resulted with 83 % more runoff than Sandy soil, while Sandy soil required on average 58 % more supplemental water than Silty Clay soil. On average, the 833 L cistern resulted with 41 % savings in water supply and 45 % reduction in total runoff. Results showed that the greatest volumes of runoff predicted were for the silty clay soil Control Treatment using a time-based irrigation scheduling method, while the least volumes calculated were for the sandy loam soil time-based irrigation scheduling treatment with 833 L cistern size. The greatest volumes of total supplemental water predicted were for sandy loam soil Control Treatment, while the least volumes were for silty clay soil ET-based irrigation scheduling treatment with 833 L cistern size. Regression equations were developed to allow for users to select a RWH cistern size based on the amount of water they want to save or runoff to reduce.

Effectiveness of Rainwater Harvesting in Runoff Volume Reduction in a Planned Industrial Park, China

It is urgent to effectively mitigate flood disasters in humid mountainous areas in southeastern China for the increasing flood risk under urbanization and industrialization. In this study, a rural district with an area of 13.39 km2 that planning to build an industrial park covering an area of 7.98 km2 in Changting was selected to estimate the potential of collectable rainwater and the extent to which runoff volume can potentially be mitigated by rainwater harvesting. In addition, the optimum cistern capacity of a rainwater harvesting system in the planned industrial park was evaluated using daily water balance simulation and cost-efficiency analysis. The results showed that rainwater harvesting in the planned industrial park has great potential. The annually collectable rainwater is approximately 9.8 × 106 m3 and the optimum cistern capacity is determined to be 0.9 × 106 m3. With the optimum cistern capacity, the annual rainwater usage rate is 0.99, showing neither financial savings nor deficits. Rainwater harvesting can reduce 100 % of runoff volume in the cases of critical rainfall storm (50 mm) and annual average maximum daily rainfall (111.2 mm), and 58 % of runoff volume in the case of maximum daily rainfall (233.6 mm), respectively. All surface runoff can be collected and stored in the cisterns when rainfall amount is less than 135.5 mm in a rainstorm event.

Effects of rainwater harvesting on plant growth, soil water dynamics and herbaceous biomass during rehabilitation of degraded hills in Rajasthan, India

Degraded hills can be restored by afforestation and conserving soil and water through rainwater harvesting. Three slope categories viz. <10%, 10–20% and >20% of a degraded hill were treated with rainwater harvesting (RWH) structures: Contour trench (CT), Gradonie (GD), Box trench (BT) and V-ditch (VD) including a control with a view to rehabilitate it by conserving and minimizing gradient in soil water and nutrients. Soil water content (SWC), height and collar diameter of Acacia catechu, Azadirachta indicia, Emblica officinalis, Holoptelia integrifolia and Zyziphus mauritiana planted in August 2005, herbaceous biomass and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) interceptions by tree, vegetation and tree-vegetation combine (PARintT/V/C) were monitored for suitability of RWH devices and tree species in rehabilitation. SWC decreased from December to June and it was linearly related to rainfall and vegetation height. PARint by tree, vegetation, and tree-vegetation combine were 30.0%, 54.6% and 84.6%, respectively and helped conserve soil water. SWC, plant and vegetation growth and PARintT were lowest (P<0.05), whereas herbaceous biomass and PARintV were highest in 10–20% slope. Vegetation height and SWC were linearly related to biomass indicating improvement in micro-climate and herbaceous growth. Highest SWC in <10% slope promoted plant growth and mean annual increment (MAI) in height and collar diameter, which enhanced PARintT and PARintC. These variables were highest in CT/BT treatments and lowest in control plots. Characteristic root distribution of Acacia catechu and A. indica promoted growth in V-ditch, whereas E. officinalis, Z. mauritiana and H. integrefolia performed best in CT treatment. RWH enhanced herbaceous biomass between 22.4% and 60.7% over control. Conclusively, VD/GD structures found best for growth of herbaceous vegetation as well as A. catechu and A. indica plants, whereas CT/BT structures favoured growth of other tree species. Rainfall influenced SWC, but RWH helped conserve soil and water, promoted plantation and herbaceous growth and facilitated restoration process, and may be promoted to restore degrading lands.

Analysis of the abundance of abandoned tanks in Hambantota District, Sri Lanka using GIS techniques

Around two thirds of the area in Sri Lanka is covered by the dry zone, which receives less than 1750mm average annual rainfall, but not equally distributed over the land. Due to rainfall variations, dry zone of Sri Lanka faced periodic drought conditions in the past. On the basis of surface water availability, Hambantota District appears to be a highly affected area. Tanks have been constructed in order to harvest rainwater to overcome this problem. But, there are many abandoned tanks in Hambantota, which decrease the effectiveness and efficiency of water harvesting. In order to minimize the number of abandoned tanks, an analysis is carried out to find the cause for the abundance of abandoned tanks in the area. Integrating GIS techniques with the relevant data such as rainfall, topographic contours, spot heights, land use, temperature, geology, etc. gives an accurate and updated database, which helps to analyze the reason for the abundance of the abandoned tanks in the area, and hence facilitate the increase of efficiency and effectiveness of rainwater harvesting through a proper water management system.

Effects of rainwater harvesting and afforestation on soil properties and growth of Emblica officinalis while restoring degraded hills in western India

Effect of rainwater harvesting (RWH) structures like Contour trench (CT), gradonie (GD), box trench (BT), V-ditch (VD) and afforestation with Emblica officinalis Gaertn (planted in August, 2005) were studied in 20% slopes with a view to improve soil status, plant growth, sequester carbon and rehabilitate hills for local benefits. Soil pH and EC decreased and percent soil, SOC, NO3-N and PO4-P increased in June 2010 over 2005. Enhanced soil water and nutrients in 20% and <10% slopes, respectively than in 10-20% slope, whereas it was 17.8, 16.1, 24.2 and 14.0% greater in CT, GD, BT and VD treatments, respectively over control. The highest plant growth was in CT plots in all slopes. Second best treatment was BT in <10% slope and VD in other slopes.Conclusively, RWH and afforestation facilitated soil improvement but CT/BT treatments were more efficient in conserving soil and water facilitating plant growth and helped restore the degraded hill. However, further research is required on soil water use and its partitioning in different vegetation component and the benefits accrued from it for the local people. Key words: Plant growth, hill restoration, soil carbon, soil nutrients, water dynamics

Effects of rainwater harvesting on herbage diversity and productivity in degraded Aravalli hills in western India

Over-exploitation and rural growth have severely damaged native vegetations of Aravalli hills in Rajasthan, India. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different restoration practices (i.e., rainwater harvesting (RWH) and planting of tree seedlings) on improvement in soil water and nutrients and growth and biomass of herbaceous vegetation. Contour trench (CT), Gradonie (G), Box trench (BT), V-ditch (VD) and a control were imposed on 75 plots (each of 700 m2) in natural slope gradient defined as 20% slopes in 2005. Each plot had three micro-sites of 1-m2 at up (USP), middle (MSP) and lower (LSP) part of the plot for observation in 2008. The existed gradient (due to soil texture and topographic features) of soil pH, EC, SOC, NH4-N, NO3-N and PO4-P in June 2005 between >20% to 20% slopes, compared with <10% slope. The highest diversity in CT treatment was related to herbage biomass, which was enhanced further by highest concentrations of SOC and PO4-P. Further, CT treatment was found to be the best treatment in minimizing biomass variance in different slopes. Conclusively, soil texture and topographic features controlled soil water and nutrients availability. Rainwater harvesting techniques increased soil water storage and nutrient retention and also enhanced vegetation status and biomass by minimizing the effects of hillslopes. Thus depending upon the site conditions, suitable RWH technique could be adopted to increase herbage biomass while rehabilitating the degraded hills.

Effect of rainwater harvesting via plastic film-covered ridge on soil moisture in Medicago sativa grassland and water use efficiency

Effect of rainwater harvesting via plastic film-covered ridge on soil moisture in Medicago sativa grassland and water use efficiency

Effects of rainwater harvesting on centralized urban water supply systems

The potential effect of widespread rainwater harvesting practices on mains water demand and quality management are investigated for three different types of urban areas characterized by different roof area to water demand ratios. Two rainfall patterns are considered with similar average annual depths but very different temporal distributions. Supply reliability and the extent of reliance on the public distribution system are identified as suitable performance indicators for mains water infrastructure. A uniform temporal distribution of rainfall in an oceanic climate like that of Dinard, Northern France, yielded supply reliabilities close to 100% for reasonable tank sizes (0.065 m3/m2 of roof area in Dinard compared with 0.262 m3/m2 in Nice with a RWSO of 30% for a detached house). However, the collection and use of rainfall results in a permanent decrease in mains water demand leading to an increase in water age in the distribution network. Investigations carried on a real network showed that water age is greatly affected when rainwater supplies more than 30% of the overall water demand. In urban water utilities planning, rainwater supply systems may however be profitable for the community if they enable the deferment of requirements for new mains water infrastructure.

Soil water dynamics, growth of Dendrocalamus strictus and herbage productivity influenced by rainwater harvesting in Aravalli hills of Rajasthan

Degraded Aravalli hills in western India require rehabilitation through resource conservation and afforestation for meeting the biomass needs of resource-poor tribes of the region. Rainwater harvesting treatments i.e., control, Contour trench (CT), Gradonie (G), Box trench (BT) and V-ditch (VD) were prepared in <10%, 10–20% and >20% slopes categories and Dendrocalamus strictus L. seedlings were planted in August 2005 with a view to conserve soil and water and increase the productivity of the hills. Soil water content (SWC), survival and height of D. strictus plants were highest ( P < 0.05) in <10% slope and all these variables decreased with increase in slope. SWC increased by 27.45% and 25.68% in <10% and >20% slopes, respectively than in 10–20% slope. From lowest in control SWC increased by 11.95%, 20.21%, 17.61% and 11.49% in CT, G, BT and VD treatments, respectively. Growth variables were highest in VD plots but the increase in shoot number was highest (2.9-fold) in CT plots. Increase in effects of rainwater harvesting with time indicated by a change in production pattern from highest ( P < 0.05) fresh and dry herbage in <10% slope in 2005 to 10–20% slope (24.66% and 26.09%) in 2006 and >20% slope (42.42% and 48.35%, respectively) in 2007. The increase in herbage was 1.17–2.40-fold in fresh and 1.20–2.52-fold in dry herbage over control. Highest ( P < 0.01) production was in V-ditch plots. The treatments order for herbage production was C < CT < G < BT < VD. But the production was highest in BT in <10% and in V-ditch plots in 10–20 and >20% slopes. Conclusively, soil water status is affected by natural slope, stony soil surface and rainwater harvesting structures influencing seedling growth and herbage production. Box trench and V-ditch enhanced surface soil water facilitating herbage growth, whereas contour trench facilitated deep soil water storage, which was made available to the plants after monsoon. Thus rainwater harvesting practices enhanced vegetation cover and productivity of the degraded hills and can be replicated to conserve soil resource and increase biomass for rural poor of the region.

Quantifying the impacts of rainwater harvesting in a case study catchment: The Arvari River, Rajasthan, India

Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is the collection and storage of runoff for the primary purpose of groundwater recharge in arid and semi-arid regions of India. In India, investment in RWH for groundwater recharge is increasing. However, despite this very little is known on the catchment hydrological impacts of RWH. Although RWH is a small-scale operation, when implemented across a catchment, the impact on groundwater and river flow could be significant. However, there is currently no study that has comprehensively quantified this impact. This paper therefore proposes a method to explore the effects of RWH in a case study catchment of the 500 km2 ungauged Arvari River Basin in Rajasthan, India, where 366 RWH structures have been built since 1985. Difficulties associated with working in semi-arid regions, such as this catchment, include the high spatial and temporal variability of climate, particularly rainfall, and landscape conditions and data scarcity. Detailed field studies of local scale effects of RWH and recharge under a number of structures were studied during the monsoon of2007 in the catchment. Discharge over anicuts on the river was also monitored and subsequent water level rise in wells. These results will be extended to the catchment scale using a conceptual catchment water balance model that captures the main hydrological processes. Water moves through the catchment in a series of linked storages for each land use, where the upper and lower catchments are separate domains. The groundwater system consists of an unconfined alluvial aquifer over a confined hard rock aquifer. This will allow different scenarios of land use and levels of RWH to be explored to quantify the hydrological impact on the catchment.

Effect of Rainwater Harvesting on the Amounts of Some Heavy Metals, in the Ground Water of East Dwarka Subcity of Delhi

In the present study water samples, from various societies of East Zone of Dwarka subcity of New Delhi have been collected where rainwater-harvesting systems are installed. The impact of rainwater harvesting on the amounts of heavy metals in ground water has been studied by collecting water samples from these selected sites in the months before and after the rain. In study the difference between the values of some of the heavy metals in ground water, collected before and after rain, has been found. The present study reveals that the rainwater harvesting suitably reduced the amounts of heavy metals in under ground water and has improved the quality of ground water.

Effect of rainwater harvesting with ridge and furrow on yield of potato in semiarid areas

A new planting pattern for potato production in semiarid areas was designed and tested for enhanced tuber yield and for the benefit of collecting rainwater. This pattern comprised two elements: the ridge mulched by plastic film that acts as the runoff area and the furrow as the infiltration basin or planting area. The conventional planting pattern for potato production in semiarid regions of northwestern China is the opposite with mulched ridges for planting and the furrow as an infiltration zone. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the ridge with or without mulching on rainwater harvesting and the response in potato yield and to determine the optimal cross-sectional area of the ridge and furrow. A ratio defined as the width of the ridge to the width of the furrow or the planting area was used to evaluate the cross-sectional area. Three ratios of 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 were tested under the conditions of mulched ridge, bare earth ridge, and no ridge or flat planting, respectively. No matter what ratio used, the width of the planting belt was the same at 0.6 m. The results showed that for tuber yield, the ridge with the plastic mulching was more effective than the bare earth ridge and that the bare earth ridge was better than flat planting. In the mulched ridges, a ridge width of 0.45 m or a ratio of ridge to furrow of 0.75 led to higher yield than that of ridges with a width of 0.3 and 0.6 m. For the bare earth ridges, the yield in the 0.6 m ridge width was higher than that of the other two ridges. Besides improving potato yield, the mulched ridge and furrow planting had the added advantage of collecting considerable rainwater for soil moisture. In addition, the percentage of small-sized potatoes was low. Therefore, we recommend that the mulched ridge with a ridge width of 0.45 m and a furrow width of 0.6 m as a successful method to increase potato yield in semiarid areas where potato production relies totally on rainwater.