Abstract:
This research was conducted to introduce the concept of evaluating water saving, yield and
water productivity of potato (solanum tuberosum l.) by using wetting front detector and
different levels of fertilizer application at Koga irrigation scheme Ambomesk farmer’s farm
Mecha, woreda during 2016 irrigation season. The necessary data to calculate with nine
replication were collected which were measurements of discharge, irrigation time, moisture
content and total yields. This was done by two factorial water management systems and
fertilizer application that was irrigation with wetting front Detector and farmer irrigation
practice combined with recommended fertilizer and farmer’s fertilize. The result of the
analysis shows that the yield and water productivity contributing characters in the wetting
front detector treatments irrigation were significantly higher compared to those in the
farmer’s irrigation practice treatments. Additionally the yield and water productivity in both
irrigation methods the recommended fertilizer treatments were significantly higher compared
to those in the farmer’s fertilizer practice treatments. The highest yield for irrigation wetting
front detector (34.06 t/ha) for recommended fertilizer and (32.86 t/ha) for farmers fertilizer
and lowest yield for farmer irrigation practice (31.15 t/ha) for recommended fertilizer and for
farmers fertilize (30.78 t/ha) were obtained. The highest water productivity of 3.42 kg/m3 was
obtained with irrigation wetting front detector with recommended fertilizer and the least 2.52
kg/m3 was obtained with farmer’s irrigation practice with farmer’s fertilizer. The overall
findings of this experiment are that Wetting front detector irrigation water management
system can save 18.5 % water and labor that is (18.3 %) time save more over (7.5 %) yield
increment. The same water management method and different fertilizer wetting front detector
with recommended fertilizer (3.5 %) more than farmer’s fertilizer. The study is that wetting
front detector with recommended fertilizer has explicit role in increasing the yield and water
productivity of potato.
