Effect of surge flow and alternate irrigation on the irrigation efficiency and water productivity of onion in the semi-arid areas of North Ethiopia

Effects of irrigation scheduling and different irrigation methods on onion and water productivity in Tigray, northern Ethiopia

“…However, improper on-farm irrigation management practices could lead to poor water distribution; non-uniform crop growth; waterlogging and aggravates salinity build-ups [10,[14][15][16][17][18]. Literature show that farmers who practice poor water management techniques obtain low-and poor-quality irrigation products such as onion yields with a maximum loss of water and labour forces [15,16,19]. To this effect, efficient irrigation water application techniques substantiated with appropriate field management strategies are required to improve water productivity in water scares areas.…”

“…To this effect, efficient irrigation water application techniques substantiated with appropriate field management strategies are required to improve water productivity in water scares areas. There are various widely applied irrigation methods (e.g., basin, furrow and flooding) and irrigation scheduling techniques in the region [10,16]. However, the knowledge on the linkage of these irrigation water application methods and irrigation scheduling techniques is lacking.…”

“…However, the knowledge on the linkage of these irrigation water application methods and irrigation scheduling techniques is lacking. As a result, understanding the combined effects of irrigation methods and irrigation interval can be used to enhance effective agricultural water management in irrigated agriculture [16,20,21]. Besides, evaluating these irrigation techniques is vital to put recommendations for irrigation users for optimum crop production.…”

“…Onion (Allium cepa L.) crop is one of the most dominantly consumed cash crops in Ethiopia [16,[22][23][24]. It is a key component in the Ethiopian daily foodstuff as it improves the taste and scent of the food [22].…”

“…This has been drawing the attention of researchers for increasing the productivity of onion crop in the region via introducing efficient irrigation water management strategies. Several studies [27][28][29][30] showed that among the different irrigation methods, drip and sprinkler irrigation methods increases the yield of onion and water productivity. However, due to lack of technical knowledge, high labour demand, and poor extension services, these irrigation methods are not well adapted and farmers are distrustful to their acceptance [14].…”