The Effects of Every Other Furrow Irrigation Systems on Water Use Efficiency and Yield of Onion at Adami Tulu Agricultural Research Center

Abstract

Alternate furrow irrigation was believed to improve water use efficiency and labor without a significant tradeoff in yield. It leads to see the effect of alternate furrow irrigation versus every furrow and fixed furrow were evaluated at full crop water requirement. With the objective of to evaluate effect of alternate furrow irrigation with two irrigation intervals (5day and 3day intervals) on crop yield water productivity that might enable to save irrigation water and labor. The experiment has been under taken among AFI, FFI and CFI at Adami Tulu Agricultural Research Center of experimental site for onion production. A field experiment was designed as a two factor factorial experiment (3*2) in RCBD, replicated three times. The two factors were irrigation systems and irrigation interval. Irrigation was applied to furrows using Parshal flume from furrows head ditch with similar inflow rate. Results obtained revealed that alternate furrow irrigation method produced total yield of 25203kg/ha which was not significantly different with that obtained under every furrow irrigation (26469kg/ha). Total yield harvested from fixed furrow irrigation were 24024kg/ha, which showed insignificant difference between the three methods. High marketable yield of 26053kg/ha was recorded from every furrow irrigation and the marketable yield of alternate furrow irrigation were 24601kg/ha which showed insignificant difference between the two method. Water productivity of 7.6kg/m<sup>3</sup>, 7.3kg/m<sup>3</sup> and 5.9kg/m<sup>3</sup> were produced under alternate furrow, fixed furrow and every furrow irrigation respectively. It was found that alternate furrow irrigation method saved 26.61% of water as compared to every furrow irrigation as well as fixed furrow irrigation method saved 26.81% as compared with every furrow irrigation method. Alternate furrow irrigation method with appropriate irrigation interval that is three days of irrigation interval is suitable irrigation method; for semi arid areas where soil is dominated by loam soil and water is liming factor for crop production.