Abstract:
This study attempted to evaluate the effects of alternative furrow irrigation (AFI), fixed
furrow irrigation (FFI) and conventional furrow irrigation (CFI) systems on crop yield and
water use efficiencies. The general objective were to study the effect of deficit irrigation on
yield and water use efficiency for improved agricultural production, environmental
sustainability and water productivity, with specific objectives of investigating the effect of
deficit irrigation under different furrow irrigation systems on soil properties, yield and water
use efficiency of tomato. A field experiment was designed as a two factor factorial in RCBD;
with three time replicate. The two factors were irrigation systems and water application
levels. Irrigation depth was monitored using a Parshall flume of an opening diameter 3 inch
with discharge of 3.532 l/s at a head of 8cm. Results were compared in terms of flow
parameters, water use efficiencies and yield at (P<0.01). Flow parameters had shown that,
recession time of AFI system was highly significant from both of CFI and FFI systems and
100 % ETc from the remaining three application levels and their interaction was significant.
For water use efficiency parameters; the mean results of both crop water use efficiency
(CWUE) and field water use efficiency (FWUE) of AFI, FFI and CFI were 256.69, 214.77
and 130.53 kgha-1mm-1 respectively and showing highly significant difference between them.
There were highly significant differences between the mean results of irrigation systems of
AFI and CFI systems on Christian's uniformity coefficient (UCC), application efficiency
(Ea), storage efficiency (Er) and deep percolation losses (Dp) and Water application levels
between 100% ETc and the remaining three application levels on UCC and Er, while for Ea
and Dp between 85% ETc and 50% ETc and their interaction were also highly significant.
There was no significant difference between the yield obtained in the AFI and CFI, However,
there were highly significant difference between yield of FFI and CFI systems. In view of the
results, AFI system is taken as promising for conservation of water (1232.9m3/ha), time
(19:22'48" hours/ha), labor (4050.93 birr/ha) and fuel (5457.18 birr/ha) saving for users
diverting water from the source to canals using pump without negligible trade-off in yield.
