Impact of irrigation strategies on maize (Zea mays L.) production in the savannah region of Northern Togo (West Africa)

Abstract

In northern Togo where rainfed maize is one of the major crops grown, agriculture is subject to frequent yield losses due to erratic rainfall. To ensure food availability and improve agricultural productivity, it is necessary to produce maize during the dry season under irrigation. A sound application of full and deficit irrigation requires a thorough understanding of the crop parameters and yield response to water. Thus, this study investigated the effect of full and deficit irrigation on maize plant above-ground biomass, leaf area index, canopy cover, plant height, and grain yield. A field experiment was carried out from December 2017 to April 2018 in northern Togo at the agronomic research institute. Full irrigation (FI), 80% FI, and 60% FI treatments were applied. The results showed that in the late-season stage, the differences in biomass between FI and 60% FI were significant (p < 0.05). On average, FI had the greatest grain yield (2 200.4 kg/ha), while the lowest grain yield was recorded under 60% FI (1,068.3 kg/ha). The grain yield differences between FI and 60% FI were significant. Nevertheless, the grain yield differences between FI and 80% FI were not significant (p > 0.05). 80% FI had water use efficiency (WUE) (0.22 kg/m3) similar to that of FI (0.21 kg/m3), on average. The results of this study illustrate that deficit irrigation must be carefully managed since slight differences in the application volumes affect the biomass and yield of maize significantly. Under a moderate level of deficit irrigation (vegetative and reproductive growth stages) the biomass and the grain yield of maize are reduced. However, a moderate level of deficit irrigation during the vegetative growth stage could result in similar values of WUE to that of FI.

Farmers’ Preference and Willingness to Pay for Climate-Smart Rice Varieties in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria

“…Nyang›au et al ( 2021) recorded similar level of coefficient of determination in their trend analysis of rainfall volume in a county in Kenya. This result is in line with the finding of Gadedjisso-Tossou et al (2020).…”

“…This is a global issue and could result in higher daily mean temperatures and a greater risk of extreme occurrences, which are bad for grain output. High temperature can result in evapotranspiration, which affects crop yield and farmers' livelihood (Gadedjisso-Tossou et al, 2020). This emphasizes the significance of adopting climate-smart rice varieties.…”

Rainfall and Temperature Trend Analysis by Mann–Kendall Test and Significance for Rainfed Cereal Yields in Northern Togo

“…These results revealed that the uneven distribution of rainfall in the study location might contribute to the low crop yields achieved by farmers. Maize and sorghum are particularly vulnerable to water stress during the vegetative stage of their development [38]. The uneven distribution of the rainfall observed in northern Togo usually leads to dry spells in the growing season.…”

“…This may lead to an increase in the daily mean temperatures and a higher likelihood of extreme events, which have detrimental effects on cereal crop production in northern Togo. The increase in the daily temperatures leads to a rise in evapotranspiration, which defines the crop yields and farmers' livelihood in northern Togo [38]. This justifies the fact that most farmers in northern Togo use short-cycle variety crops to avoid the vagaries of the climate [38].…”

“…The increase in the daily temperatures leads to a rise in evapotranspiration, which defines the crop yields and farmers' livelihood in northern Togo [38]. This justifies the fact that most farmers in northern Togo use short-cycle variety crops to avoid the vagaries of the climate [38]. In other words, the use of drought-tolerant and short-cycle seeds is becoming more usual in northern Togo, which lessens the risk of crop failure due to continued dry spells and high temperatures.…”