Adaptation of Low-Cost Drip Irrigation System for Small-Scale Farmers at Dodota District of Arsi Zone
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ari.v4i2.6515Keywords:
Cost Benefit Ratio, Emission Uniformity, Emitter Flow Rate Variation, Low Cost Drip Irrigation, Uniformity CoefficientAbstract
Improving access to and adopting water-conserving practices can help irrigation systems cope with water scarcity. By enhancing economic biomass production per unit of water and increasing cropping intensity by growing crops throughout the dry season, low cost drip irrigation offers a way to maximize returns on their cropland. Low cost drip irrigation was therefore designed using locally available components, with preference given to local manufacturing that only requires relatively unsophisticated facilities, but not at the expense of performance and functionality. A field study was conducted on a loam soil at Dodota Alem kebele on Onion crop during the dry seasons of 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 with the objective of adaptation and net return determination of low cost drip irrigation. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three irrigation levels (i.e., 100, 80, and 60%) and three replications for determining drip application efficiency, emission uniformity, and emitter flow variation. The analysis of the experimental data showed that the emitter flow rate variation (%), uniformity coefficient (%), emission uniformity (%) and application efficiency (%) ranged from 17.9 to 18.4, 94 to 99 ,86.9 to 89.7, 86.9 to 89.7, respectively was obtained at an operating pressure head of 1.5m. Both maximum CWUE and IWUE were obtained at full irrigation while the lowest CWUE and IWUE was recorded at 60%ETc respectively. Even though maximum total onion yield was obtained under control treatment (full irrigation), it is not advisable for arid and semi-arid areas since full water application, which leads to lower CBR (cost benefit ratio), gained relative water applied to deficit treatment and 80%ETc was the most economically attractive treatment with lower cost of production and optimum net benefit and with optimum onion yield than the other application level. It was concluded that low cost drip irrigation system could be recommended for smallholder farmer who cannot afford to buy the commercial drip system for the production of vegetables for household consumption.
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