Irrigation Water Management Practices in Smallholder Vegetable Crops Production: The Case of the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia
Journal Title: STAR Journal - Year 2014, Vol 3, Issue 1
Abstract
Smallholder irrigated vegetable production in the Central Rift Valley region of Ethiopia is instrumental in ensuring the year-round availability of fresh vegetables in the local market in the country. However, a number of problems constrain irrigated vegetable production in the region. Therefore, asurvey was conducted with the objectives of assessing smallholder irrigated vegetable production practices and identifying factors associated with problems of irrigation water management. The survey was conducted in December 2011. A multistage purposive sampling procedure was employed to select sample districts, peasant associations, and sample respondents that grew vegetables using small-scale irrigation. Key informants were interviewed and group discussions were conducted with smallholder vegetable farmers. Data were collected on household irrigation knowledge, experiences, skills, irrigation water sources as well as on irrigation water management practices such as methods, time, depth and frequency of irrigation. Data were also collected on supplemental irrigation practices under rain-fed vegetable production. In addition, household perceptions on the environmental impacts of irrigation, on-farm irrigation water related challenges, and related information were also recorded. About 16.5% of the respondents indicated that their knowledge and skills on irrigation water management practices were mainly drawn from experiences of trial and error.About 38.1% of the respondents indicated that they irrigated their vegetable fields both in the morning and the afternoon whereas 35.1% replied that they irrigated only in the afternoon. A large number of the respondents (89.6%) replied that they determined irrigation intervals based on specific crop needs. About 90.9% of the respondents replied that they applied enough irrigation water up to the point where the water level reached the furrow basin head. The survey result also indicated that 51.7% of the respondents practiced supplemental irrigation when shortage of moisture occurred in the soil during the rainy season as well at the end of the rainy season. One hundred percent of the respondents replied that they faced problems commonly related with the use of irrigation, namely, soil salinity, waterlogging, soil erosion and degradation, sedimentation, and build-up of pests and diseases. In conclusion, the survey results revealed that extension services on irrigation water management were almost non-existent, and the smallholder vegetable farmers managed irrigation water merely by intuition.Therefore, participatory on-farm irrigation research and extension on irrigation water management practices should be formulated to generate appropriate technologies for enhanced and sustainable irrigated vegetable production in the region.
Authors and Affiliations
Edossa Etissa| Agronomy and Horticulture, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), Melkassa Agricultural Research Center, Post Box No: 436, Adama, Ethiopia, Nigussie Dechassa| College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Haramaya University,Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, Tena Alamirew| Water and Land Resources Centre, Rahem Building, Diaspora Square, Megenagna, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Yibekal Alemayehu| College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Haramaya University,Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, Lemma Desalegne| Agronomy and Horticulture, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), Melkassa Agricultural Research Center, Post Box No: 436, Adama, Ethiopia
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP9629
- DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/star.v3i1.13
- Views 389
- Downloads 15
Socio-economic Contributions of Micro and Small Enterprises: The Case of Jimma City
This study examined micro and small enterprises (MSEs) contributions to the socio-economic of peoples in Jimma city. The study used inferential and descriptive design, and was carried out on 82 organized/cooperated MSEs...
Tuberculosis-HIV Co-infection Rate among Smear Positive Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients and Associated Risk Factors in Southern Ethiopia
The objective of this study was to estimate HIV infection and associated risk factors among smear positive pulmonary TB patients in Southern Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study design was used to recruit 221 consecutive...
Solution Equilibrium Study of the Complexation of Co(II) and Zn(II) with Nicotinaldehyde Thiosemicarbazone
No Abstract
HPLC Method Optimization and Validation for Determination of Lycopene in Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum, Mill.) Fruits
The aim of this work was to develop efficient and accurate protocol that can measure lycopene in tomato. A total of ten tomato varieties loose and cluster types were selected for the study. All the tomatoes were harves...
Effect of Particle Size on the Structural and Magnetic Properties of Nanocrystalline Zinc Ferrite
ZnFe2O4 is one of the most important technological material having applications in radio engineering, radio technology, semiconductors, bio-medical applications etc. ZnFe2O4 when in bulk form shows paramagnetic behavio...