Rainwater harvesting to enhance water productivity of rainfed agriculture in the semi-arid Zimbabwe

Kahinda, Jean‐Marc Mwenge; Rockström, Johan; Taigbenu, Akpofure E.; Dimes, John

doi:10.1016/j.pce.2007.07.011

Cited by 67 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Previous studies have indicated that increasing rainwater harvest and conservation, improving water productivity and increasing plant water uptake capacity can mitigate water stress and optimize crop production (Kahinda et al 2007;Rockström and Barron 2007;Rockström et al 2010). In our study, the maize grain yields were significantly higher in the GM and FM treatments than in the CK treatment (Table 3).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 44%

Soil mulching can mitigate soil water deficiency impacts on rainfed maize production in semiarid environments

Zhu¹,

Liu²,

Luo³

et al. 2015

Journal of Integrative Agriculture

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Temporally irregular rainfall distribution and inefficient rainwater management create severe constraints on crop production in rainfed semiarid areas. Gravel and plastic film mulching are effective methods for improving agricultural productivity and water utilization. However, the effects of these mulching practices on soil water supply and plant water use associated with crop yield are not well understood. A 3-yr study was conducted to analyze the occurrence and distribution of dry spells in a semiarid region of Northwest China and to evaluate the effects of non-mulching (CK), gravel mulching (GM) and plastic film mulching (FM) on the soil water supply, plant water use and maize (Zea mays L.) grain yield. Rainfall analysis showed that dry spells of ≥5 days occurred frequently in each of 3 yr, accounting for 59.9-69.2% of the maize growing periods. The >15-d dry spells during the jointing stage would expose maize plants to particularly severe water stress. Compared with the CK treatment, both the GM and FM treatments markedly increased soil water storage during the early growing season. In general, the total evapotranspiration (ET) was not significantly different among the three treatments, but the mulched treatments significantly increased the ratio of pre-to post-silking ET, which was closely associated with yield improvement. As a result, the grain yield significantly increased by 17.1, 70.3 and 16.7% for the GM treatment and by 28.3, 87.6 and 38.2% for the FM treatment in 2010, 2011 and 2012, respectively, compared with the CK treatment. It's concluded that both GM and FM are effective strategies for mitigating the impacts of water deficit and improving maize production in semiarid areas. However, FM is more effective than GM.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 44%

Soil mulching can mitigate soil water deficiency impacts on rainfed maize production in semiarid environments

Zhu¹,

Liu²,

Luo³

et al. 2015

Journal of Integrative Agriculture

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“…Although the results are very similar, Method 2 gives a slightly higher score for the jessour in Sub-catchment 2 (jessour 10-16) and Sub-catchment 3 (jessour [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8].…”

Section: Comparison Of Methods 1 Andmentioning

confidence: 79%

“…RWH is a method for inducing, collecting, storing and conserving local surface runoff for agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions [2]. RWH is a likely viable option to increase water productivity at the production system level [3]. RWH and management techniques have a significant potential for improving and sustaining the rainfed agriculture in the region [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Methodology to Assess and Evaluate Rainwater Harvesting Techniques in (Semi-) Arid Regions

Adham

Riksen

Ouessar

et al. 2016

Water

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Arid and semi-arid regions around the world face water scarcity problems due to lack of precipitation and unpredictable rainfall patterns. For thousands of years, rainwater harvesting (RWH) techniques have been applied to cope with water scarcity. Researchers have used many different methodologies for determining suitable sites and techniques for RWH. However, limited attention has been given to the evaluation of RWH structure performance. The aim of this research was to design a scientifically-based, generally applicable methodology to better evaluate the performance of existing RWH techniques in (semi-) arid regions. The methodology integrates engineering, biophysical and socio-economic criteria using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) supported by the Geographic Information System (GIS). Jessour/Tabias are the most traditional RWH techniques in the Oum Zessar watershed in south-eastern Tunisia, which were used to test this evaluation tool. Fifty-eight RWH locations (14 jessr and 44 tabia) in three main sub-catchments of the watershed were assessed and evaluated. Based on the criteria selected, more than 95% of the assessed sites received low or moderate suitability scores, with only two sites receiving high suitability scores. This integrated methodology, which is highly flexible, saves time and costs, is easy to adapt to different regions and can support designers and decision makers aiming to improve the performance of existing and new RWH sites.

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“…LID devices, such as rain barrels, have long been used for rainwater harvesting in many parts of the world where annual rainfall is moderate to abundant (Australia—Rodrigo, Sinclair, & Leder, ; Huston, Chan, Chapman, Gardner, & Shaw, ; Wang & Blackmore, ; Bangladesh—Karim, ; Brazil—Pacheco, Gomez, Oliveira, & Teixeira, ; Europe—Palla, Gnecco, Lanza, & La Barbera, ; Malaysia—Lee, Mokhtar, Hanafiah, Halim, & Badusah, ; Nigeria—Aladenola & Adeboye, ; Korea—Han & Mun, ; Italy—Liuzzo, Notaro, & Freni, ; United States—Keithley, ; Fricano & Grass, ) as well as in areas with semiarid to arid regions with low annual rainfall (Bakir & Liang, ; National Institute of Hydrology, ; Li, Gong, & Wei, ; Kahinda, Rockstrom, Taigbenu, & Dimes, ) and as an alternative source for potable and nonpotable water use (i.e., lawn irrigation, crop production; Imteaz, Adeboye, Rayburg, & Shanableh, ; Thomas, Kirisits, Lye, & Kinney, ; Boers & Ben‐Asher, ). This reduces water bills and saves energy used to produce and transport water, thus making it a viable strategy for supplementing local water supply both in areas with higher or lower risk of water scarcity (Dallman, Chaudhry, Muleta, & Lee, ; Ruberto, Lee, & Bayer, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rainwater harvesting potential in a semiarid Southern California city

Summerville

Sultana

2019

AWWA Water Science

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To determine the rainwater capture potential in a small residential city located in semiarid Southern California, a model of the city's existing storm drainage system was developed using a watershed management model based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's storm water management model. The model analyzes the effect of (1) 2‐ and 10‐year 24‐h storms and (2) dry, average, and wet climatic conditions under five different scenarios, considering (1) single rain barrel, (2) 5 rain barrels, (3) 7 rain barrels, (4) 10 rain barrels, and (5) a storage tank in each residential lot. Results show that, due to its fixed capacity, rain barrel(s) can only save a limited amount of water. A storage tank per lot increases rainwater capture efficiency, which can collect 19% of city's annual reclaimed water volume in an average climatic year. However, storage tanks can only be cost‐effective to residents through financial supports from local agencies.

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Rainwater harvesting to enhance water productivity of rainfed agriculture in the semi-arid Zimbabwe

Cited by 67 publications

References 7 publications

Soil mulching can mitigate soil water deficiency impacts on rainfed maize production in semiarid environments

Soil mulching can mitigate soil water deficiency impacts on rainfed maize production in semiarid environments

A Methodology to Assess and Evaluate Rainwater Harvesting Techniques in (Semi-) Arid Regions

Rainwater harvesting potential in a semiarid Southern California city

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