Salinization pattern and its spatial distribution in the irrigated agriculture of Northern Ethiopia: An integrated approach of quantitative and spatial analysis

Gebremeskel, Gebremedhin; Gebremicael, Tesfay Gebretsadkan; Kifle, Mulubrehan; Meresa, Esayas; Gebremedhin, Teferi; Girmay, Abbadi

doi:10.1016/j.agwat.2018.05.007

Cited by 48 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…A fixed irrigation interval could also be beneficial to use more crop per drop of water enhancing the greater value of water in terms of water prices [14]. In summary, the fixed irrigation interval has a multitude of benefits to onion producing farmers as it contributes better water management, reduces waterlogging and salinity in the schemes [16,18]. Majority of onion yield components were not significantly affected by the irrigation intervals in both sites.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…This is also supported by Enciso et al [55] who reported the size of onion irrigated by drip irrigation was greater than the size of furrow irrigated onion by more than 181%. On the other hand, irrigation methods such as furrow, flood and furrow are common in regions with layouts of small fields and the northern Ethiopia region is typically characterized by small irrigation schemes where farmers' landholding capacity is not more than 0.25 ha [14,16,18,25].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In water-stressed regions (e.g., irrigation areas in northern Ethiopia), efficient irrigation water use can meet its objective if the agricultural field is managed properly. 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].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In northern Ethiopia (Tigray region), most farmers use conventional irrigation practices instead of the drip and sprinkler irrigation systems to irrigate their crops [16,18,31]. As a result, these mechanized irrigation practices (drip irrigation and sprinkler) are limited in the region [10,14,17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Haile

Gebremicael

Kifle

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Efficient irrigation water use can meet its objective if irrigated agriculture is managed properly in regions where water is limited. A two-year (2016)(2017) field experiments were conducted in the semiarid areas of Tigray in northern Ethiopia to evaluate irrigation scheduling with different irrigation methods. The experiments were carried out to identify their contribution for enhancing onion and water productivity in water-stressed irrigation schemes of Korir and Hatset sites. Six factorial treatments comprising of three levels of irrigation methods (furrow, basin and flood) and two levels of irrigation scheduling (fixed interval and farmer's practices) were evaluated with three replications. The agronomic and irrigation parameters were subjected to separate level-wise comparison followed by the factorial interaction effects. The results showed that the fixed irrigation interval, basin irrigation method and their 2 factorial combinations showed better performances and produced a higher yield and water productivity.On average, 263.85 q/ha and 281 q/ha of onion were obtained under the basin irrigation method and basin irrigation with fixed irrigation interval (T2) at both sites and seasons. For the T2, 6.27 and 6.06 kg/m 3 of water productivity (WP) and 4.39 and 4.24 kg/m 3 of irrigation water productivity (IWP) were obtained at Korir and Hatset sites, respectively showing higher results as compared to other treatment combinations.Moreover, the basin irrigation method produces higher marketable onion bulbs that are essential for onion producers to earn maximum profit from selling and enhance their livelihoods. Treatments comprising basin method and fixed interval showed better onion and water productivity in the water-limited irrigation schemes of Tigray. Hence, focusing on enhanced irrigation scheduling techniques and irrigation methods are important for effective agricultural water management. Farmers, irrigation experts, water resources managers and decision-makers are suggested to use these techniques to save the limited water resources and increase agricultural productivity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Haile

Gebremicael

Kifle

et al. 2019

Preprint

Self Cite

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“…With a 3% average population growth, future food security as well as the livelihood source for a considerable portion of the population remains a challenge to the governments. The soil salinity problems in Ethiopia stems from use of poor quality water coupled with the intensive use of soils for irrigation, poor on-farm water management practices and lack of adequate drainage facilities (Gebremeskel et al, 2018). Restoration of salt-affected lands into productive lands and protection of newly developed areas from the spread of salinity through improved irrigation and crop management is therefore of paramount importance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prospects of alternative copping systems for salt-affected soils in Ethiopia

Qureshi¹,

Ertebo²,

Mehansiwala³

2018

J. Soil Sci. Environ. Manage.

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Soil salinization is one of the major constraints in achieving food security and environmental degradation in Ethiopia. Restoration of salt-affected lands into productive lands and protection of newly developed areas from the spread of salinity is therefore of paramount importance. In high salinity areas where technical solutions to soil rehabilitation are expensive and time consuming and growth of normal field crops is restricted, use of bioremediation methods including planting halophytic forages could bring these soils back into production. This paper identifies different causes of salinity and characterizes soils based on severity of salinity levels. The paper suggests that biosaline agriculture is an economical and effective approach to use unproductive lands for growing different food and fodder crops in Ethiopia. This approach, if prudently adapted, can help in improving livelihood of rural and pastoral communities of the salt-affected areas by enhancing feed and fodder production. The paper has recommended many unexplored and unexploited genetic variation that can be harnessed to improve the salt tolerance of field crop species. Productivity of marginal lands can be maximized for field crops and fodder species and varieties that can tolerate soil salinization and poor irrigation water quality.

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Effect of cyclic irrigation using moderately saline and non‐saline water on onion (Allium cepa L.) yield and soil salinization in semi‐arid areas of Northern Ethiopia*

Yohannes

Ritsema

Habtu

et al. 2020

Irrigation and Drainage

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Due to the scarcity and/or unreliability of canal water supply, seepage water is haphazardly used for sole irrigation or in conjunction with canal water in most small-scale irrigation schemes in northern Ethiopia. This has been a major cause of low crop yield and has aggravated soil salinization. The problem is more exacerbated for onion, which is the major irrigated vegetable crop and is sensitive to salinity. Thus, it is essential to assess a sustainable way to use both water resources conjunctively for the production of onion. A new study in the Ethiopian context was conducted to evaluate the effect of cyclic irrigation using non-saline canal water (EC, 0.41-0.78 dS m −1) and moderately saline seepage water (EC, 0.82-2.19 dS m −1) on onion yield and soil salinization for two seasons (2014/2015 and 2015/2016) in the Gumselassa irrigation scheme, Ethiopia. Four irrigation water treatments were applied with three replications consisting of: C (canal), S (seepage), 2CS (two canal and seepage) and CS (canal and seepage). In both seasons, the onion bulb yield variations between the C, 2CS and CS treatments were not significant; however, the S treatment reduced the onion yield significantly compared to all but CS in 2015/2016. The S treatment resulted in significant salt accumulation in the upper soil profile (0-20 cm). The alternate (C : S) cyclic option is thus recommended for alleviation of the problem of freshwater scarcity, without undue onion yield reduction and soil salinization in Gumselassa and similar irrigation schemes.

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Salinization pattern and its spatial distribution in the irrigated agriculture of Northern Ethiopia: An integrated approach of quantitative and spatial analysis

Cited by 48 publications

References 20 publications

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

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

Prospects of alternative copping systems for salt-affected soils in Ethiopia

Effect of cyclic irrigation using moderately saline and non‐saline water on onion (Allium cepa L.) yield and soil salinization in semi‐arid areas of Northern Ethiopia*

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