Yibekal Alemayehu, Tilahun Hordofa, Abdi Musa Sali

Effects Deficit Irrigation and Mulching on Yield and Water Productivity of Furrow Irrigated Onion (Allium Cepa L.) Under Haramaya Condition, Eastern Ethiopia

In the background of improving Water Productivity, there is concern in deficit irrigation, which delivers a means of decreasing water depletion while reducing opposing effects on yield. A field experiment was conducted at Haramaya, Ethiopia during 2020 off-season. The objective was determining effects of irrigation levels and mulch types on yield and Water Productivity of Onion. The experimental design was a split plot in RCBD with three replications. The deficit irrigation levels 100%, 85%, 70% and 55% ETc used with the three mulch types no mulch, straw and white plastic mulch were used. The results revealed that the maximum yield of 38.43 ton ha-1 was recorded from 100% ETc with plastic mulch; whereas the minimum yield of 16.36 ton ha-1 was recorded from 55% ETc with no mulch. Higher Crop Water Productivity of about 9.04 kg ha-1mm- 1 was obtained from 85% ETc with plastic mulch. With 85% ETc and plastic mulch the water saved, yield reduction and Crop Water Productivity were 113.13 mm, 9.57% and 9.04 kg ha-1 mm-1 respectively. In view of water saved and maximum yield, irrigation water application at 85% irrigation application levels and plastic mulch could be concerned. The current study recommends that, in water limited area, farming community can accept deficit irrigation level with 85% ETc under plastic mulch.

PDF

___

Awulachew BD, Aster L, Makonnen L, Willibald A, Mekonnen A, Tena A. 2007. Water Resources and Irrigation Development in Ethiopia. International Water Management Institute. (Working Paper 123). Colombo, Sri Lanka
Allen R, Pereira LA, Raes D, Smith M. 1998. Crop evapotranspiration guidelines for computing crop water requirements. Irrigation and Drainage Paper No. 56. FAO, Rome.
Singh R, Kumar M, Smarandache F. 2010. Ratio estimators in simple random sampling when study variable is an attribute. World Applied Sciences Journal 11(5): 586-589.
Zwart SJ, Bastiaanssen WGM. 2004. Review of measured crop water productivity values for irrigated wheat, rice, cotton and maize. Journal of Agricultural Water Management, 69(2).
Lemma Dessalegn and Shemelis Aklilu 2003. Research results and experiences in onion dry bulb and seed production in Ethiopia. Vegetable crops improvement research, EARO, Melkassa Agricultural Research Centre. p39.
Bosland PW, Votava EJ. 2000. Pepper: Vegetable and Spice Capsicums. CABI Publishing, New York.
Chawla SL. 2006. Effect of irrigation regimes and mulching on vegetative growth, quality and yield of flowers of African marigold. Ph.D. Thesis, Department of Horticulture, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur.
Randle WM. 2000. Increasing nitrogen concentration in hydroponic solutions affects onion flavour and bulb quality. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science, 125: 254-259.
Ray N, Yadav DS. 2005. Advances in vegetable production. Research book center. New Delhi. 237-238. Research, Vol. 78: p. 51-64.
Dirirsa G, Woldemichael A, Hordofa T. 2017. Effect of deficit irrigation at different growth stages on Onion (Allium cepa L.) production and water productivity at Melkassa, Central Rift valley of Ethiopia. Acad. Resource Journal Agriculture Science. Resource. 5(5): 358-365.
Heidari H. 2012. Alternate Furrow Irrigation Effect on Yield, Yield Components and Seed
Kadayifci AGI, Tuylu Y, Ucar B, Cakmak GI. 2004. Crop water use of onion (Allium cepa L.) in Turkey. Journal of Agricultural Water Management, 72:59-68.
Habtamu Gudisa M. 2017. Onion (Allium cepa L.) Yield Improvement Progress in Ethiopia: A Review. International Journal of Agriculture and Biosciences, 6(5): 265-271.
Patel N, Rajput TBS. 2013. Effect of deficit irrigation on crop growth, yield and quality of onion in subsurface drip irrigation. InternationalJournalof Plant Production, 7(3): 417–435. doi: 10.22069/ijpp.2013.1112.
Tasisa Temesgen, Mokenon Ayana and Bobe Bedadi 2018. Irrigation Level Management and Mulching on Onion (Allium cepa L.) Yield and WUE in Western Ethiopia. Michael A. 2008. Irrigation theory and practice. Indian Agriculture Research Institute, New Delhi, India, 427-429.
Rop DK, Emmanuel C, Kipkorir K, John Taragon K. 2016. Effects of Deficit Irrigation on Yield and Quality of Onion Crop. Journal of Agricultural Science, 8(3): 1916-9760.
Mokenon Ayana 2011. Deficit irrigation practices as alternative means of improving water use efficiencies in irrigated agriculture: A study of maize crop at Arba Minch, Ethiopia. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 6(2): 226-235.
Nigatu AW. 2008. Identification of the critical water requiring growth stage on Onion (Allium cepa L.) for bulb production in the Central Rift Valley. MSc. Thesis. Haramaya University, Ethiopia.
Smith R. 2011. Fresh onion bulb production in California. Agricultural and Natural Resources Communication Service, 13: 987-10
Temesgen T, Ayana M, Bedadi B. 2018. Evaluating the Effects of Deficit Irrigation on Yield and Water Productivity of Furrow Irrigated Onion (Allium cepa L.) in Ambo, Western Ethiopia. Journal of Irrigation Drainage System Engineering 7: 203.
Tilahun H, Yusuf K, Mesfine M. 2004. Response of tomato to different irrigation schedules under Melkassa conditions. pp 202-203.