Academic Research Journal of Agricultural Science and Research
 

Academic Research Journal of Agricultural Science and Research 

Vol. 5(5), pp. 358-365. September, 2017.

ISSN: 2360-7874 

 DOI: 10.14662/ARJASR2017.042

Full Length Research

Effect of Deficit Irrigation at Different Growth Stages on Onion (Allium Cepa L.) Production and Water Productivity at Melkassa, Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia

Gobena Dirirsa¹*, Abraham Woldemichael² and Tilahun Hordofa¹

¹Melkassa Agricultural Research Center, P.O.Box 436, Adama, Ethiopia;

²Hawassa University, P.O.Box 05, Hawassa, Ethiopia.

*Corresponding author's email: dirirsagobe@gmail.com

Accepted 14 August 2017

Improving water use efficiency is one important strategy for addressing future water scarcity, which is driven particularly by increasing human population. Enhancing agricultural water productivity is a critical response as it is by far the main consumer of global fresh water. A field experiment was conducted at Melkassa Agricultural Research Center during the off-rain season to investigate the sensitivity of onion (Nafis variety) yield and water productivity to deficit irrigation at different growth stages. The experiment was carried out in randomized complete block design with fifteen treatments and three replications. The treatments were set as: one stage deficit of 25% and 50% at development and mid growth stages; two stage deficits of 25% and 50% at two consecutive stages from initial to maturity; three stage deficits of 25% and 50% at three stages with either development or mid stage in a combination; and control. Crop water use was estimated using soil moisture depletion method. The result showed that the different deficit irrigation had significant (p< 0.01) impact on bulb yield. The control treatment gave the highest bulb yield of 40.38 t/ha with no significant difference from 25% deficit treatments except the deficit at bulb formation stage. Crop water productivity (kg/m3) was the highest with no deficit irrigation at the bulb formation stage with 25% deficit at other stages, and the yield response factor (Ky) was higher when half deficit occurred at same stage. The result revealed that onion bulb yield was most sensitive to water deficit that occurred at bulb formation stage. This result can guide irrigation scheduling to achieve optimal onion bulb production under water scarce condition.

Keywords: Deficit Irrigation, Growth Stage, Onion, Water productivity, Yield Response Factor (Ky)
 

How to cite this article: Dirirsa G, Woldemichael A, Hordofa T (2017). Effect of Deficit Irrigation at Different Growth Stages on Onion (Allium Cepa L.) Production and Water Productivity at Melkassa, Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia. Acad. Res. J. Agri. Sci. Res. 5(5): 358-365

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