INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY

Volume 17, No. 01, Month JANUARY, Year 2021, Pages 385 - 398

Determination of supplementary irrigation water requirement and schedule for sorghum in kobo-girana valley, ethiopia

Wondatir, S. and Getnet, A.

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Rain-fed is the main season agriculture shares the largest crop production system in Amhara region. However, due to erratic nature of rainfall, crop production is always at a risk. For this reason, crop production in the arid and semi-arid regions of Ethiopia including Kobo-Girana Valley usually requires supplemental irrigation. Supplemental irrigation is the application of a limited amount of water to the crop when rainfall fails to provide sufficient water for plant growth to increase and stabilize yields. There was a significant difference among treatments in stalk biomass, grain yield and water productivity. As observed data in the experimental years, the grain yield widely ranged from 5.397t ha-1 to 1.53t ha-1. Complementing of the crop at optimal depth of application (100%) and optimal time of application starting from development stage gave the highest stalk biomass of 11t ha-1 and grain yield 5.397 t ha-1. It had a maximum yield advantage of 2.874 t ha-1 compared with the controlled system in 2011 cropping season. In the second year (2012) complemented the optimal generated depth (100%) at optimal time of application starting from development stage, seasonal irrigation water of 330.6 mm which had a yield advantage of 1.607 t ha-1 compared with supplementing of the optimum depth of application (100%) at mid-stage in 8 days irrigation interval. Finally supplementing of irrigation water starting from development stage to mid stage at 8 days interval was vital for sorghum production in Kobo-Girana valley area.

Keywords

Irrigation requirement, Irrigation schedule, Rain-fed and Supplementary Irrigation

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