Participatory demonstration of irrigation scheduling on bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) production and water productivity in PASIDP-II target area, southern Ethiopia
Abstract
Water is becoming scarce resource due to human induced and natural climatic variability. Improving water productivity in agricultural use is one of the important strategies to address present and future water scarcity. This on farm demonstration was done to assess irrigation scheduling effect on wheat production and water productivity on six clustered model farmers field in Gombora passidp-II target irrigation schemes, Hadiya Zone, Ethiopia in 2022 main Irrigation season. The comparative treatments were Full Irrigation (100% ETc) (10 days irrigation interval) and Farmer Practices (15 days interval) as control. Plot size was 20 m by 20 m on each farmer field. One year result shows that at Gombora scheme, an average minimum wheat yield 14.07 kuntals/ha obtained from farmers’ practices in 15 day interval. Whereas 25.23 kuntals/ha obtained from full irrigation application in 10 days irrigation interval based on CWR throughout season. Farmers during field visit also confirmed that using irrigation scheduling in 10 days interval with full irrigation application resulted better field performing and yielding of wheat. So, these indicated that it was possible to produce wheat by irrigation and demonstrate this better performing technology with full package in large scale.