Your search found 4 records
1 Hussein, M. A.; Muche, H.; Schmitter, Petra; Nakawuka, P.; Tilahun, S. A.; Langan, Simon; Barron, Jennie; Steenhuis, T. S. 2019. Deep tillage improves degraded soils in the (sub) humid Ethiopian highlands. Land, 8(11):1-15. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/land8110159]
Agricultural production ; Deep tillage ; Soil degradation ; Humid zones ; Highlands ; Watersheds ; Conventional tillage ; Hardpans ; Sediment ; Rain ; Runoff ; Soil loss ; Soil moisture ; Infiltration ; Maize ; Crop yield / Ethiopia / Robit-Bata Watershed
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049375)
(2.40 MB) (2.40 MB)
Intensification of rainfed agriculture in the Ethiopian highlands has resulted in soil degradation and hardpan formation, which has reduced rooting depth, decreased deep percolation, and increased direct runoff and sediment transport. The main objective of this study was to assess the potential impact of subsoiling on surface runoff, sediment loss, soil water content, infiltration rate, and maize yield. Three tillage treatments were replicated at five locations: (i) no tillage (zero tillage), (ii) conventional tillage (ox-driven Maresha plow, up to a depth of 15 cm), and (iii) manual deep ripping of the soil’s restrictive layers down to a depth of 60 cm (deep till). Results show that the posttreatment bulk density and penetration resistance of deep tillage was significantly less than in the traditional tillage and zero-tillage systems. In addition, the posttreatment infiltration rate for deep tillage was significantly greater, which resulted in significantly smaller runoff and sedimentation rates compared to conventional tillage and zero tillage. Maize yields were improved by 6% under deep tillage compared to conventional tillage and by 29% compared to no tillage. Overall, our findings show that deep tillage can be effective in overcoming some of the detrimental effects of hardpans in degraded soils.
2 Tessema, K. B.; Haile, Alemseged Tamiru; Nakawuka, P.. 2021. Vulnerability of community to climate stress: an indicator-based investigation of Upper Gana Watershed in Omo Gibe Basin in Ethiopia. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 63:102426. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102426]
Climate change ; Vulnerability ; Rural communities ; Resilience ; Drought ; Rain ; Exposure ; Indicators ; Watersheds ; Water availability ; Runoff ; Water storage ; Social capital ; Livelihoods ; Households / Ethiopia / Omo Gibe Basin / Upper Gana Watershed
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050724)
(1.14 MB)
The frequency and intensity of extreme climate events such as heavy rainfall and droughts are expected to increase with climate change and are predicted to severely affect the agriculture sector. However, drought vulnerability of rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa is not well documented, despite these communities being composed of mainly smallholder farmers whose livelihoods depend on rainfed agriculture. In this study, we evaluated the vulnerability of a rural community in Ethiopia to drought using both primary and secondary data. The primary data was generated from a household survey, whereas the secondary data was obtained from the National Meteorology Agency of Ethiopia and Climate Hazards Group Infrared Precipitation (CHIRP) product. We decomposed vulnerability in to three components which are exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity to drought based on indices derived from the primary and secondary data. Results show that the average score for exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity is nearly equal. High seasonal water variability coupled with severe, frequent, and long drought status increases exposure to drought in the study area. The main factor which affects sensitivity to drought in this community is the land cover. For adaptive capacity, the social capital of the community is low while their physical capital is high. The overall estimated drought vulnerability shows that the community is moderately vulnerable. The community’s exposure and sensitivity analyses show the need to increase the amount of moisture stored within the soil with the adoption of appropriate soil and water conservation techniques. Results also show that the head of the household’s educational level, the number of livestock owned, and annual income affect the community’s adaptive capacity.
3 Taye, Meron Teferi; Haile, Alemseged Tamiru; Fekadu, A. G.; Nakawuka, P.. 2021. Effect of irrigation water withdrawal on the hydrology of the Lake Tana sub-basin. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 38:100961. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2021.100961]
Irrigation water ; Water extraction ; Hydrology ; Irrigation schemes ; Small scale systems ; Water balance ; Dry season ; Water availability ; Water scarcity ; Irrigated land ; Hydroclimatology ; Crop production ; Water requirements ; Water use ; Rivers ; Smallholders ; Farmers / Ethiopia / Upper Blue Nile Basin / Lake Tana Sub-Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050794)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581821001907/pdfft?md5=7e540b0f0dc1c7747491b5c5fb401376&pid=1-s2.0-S2214581821001907-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050794.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050794.pdf
(7.37 MB) (7.37 MB)
Study region: The Lake Tana sub-basin, upper Blue Nile, Ethiopia.
Study focus: The Lake Tana sub-basin is one of the agricultural growth corridors for Ethiopia’s ambitious plan to expand irrigation. Despite the booming irrigation activities in the sub-basin, limited information exists on the rate of irrigation expansion and its impact on the water balance of the sub-basin. This study collected and organized smallholder irrigation data in the subbasin to identify the actual irrigated area, the abstracted irrigation water, and its implications on seasonal water availability. The area under small-scale irrigation was estimated through data obtained from ’woredas’ (districts) databases. Crop patterns were obtained through field surveys. Irrigation water abstracted at daily timescale was measured.
New hydrological insights for the Region: In the sub-basin, 38,694 ha was under small-scale irrigation in 2020/21. Surface water is the dominant water source, and it supplies about 80% of irrigation withdrawal. Water abstraction for small-scale irrigation is about 430 MCM per dry season (~50% of dry season flow). The eastern side of the sub-basin faces water shortages as the dry season flow is not sufficient for irrigation. With the prospects of more irrigation expansion, small-scale irrigation water withdrawals pose concerns of water scarcity at local level and to the water balance of the sub-basin. Hence, there is urgent need for adaptive management of the small-scale irrigation effect on the sub-basin’s hydrology.
Study focus: The Lake Tana sub-basin is one of the agricultural growth corridors for Ethiopia’s ambitious plan to expand irrigation. Despite the booming irrigation activities in the sub-basin, limited information exists on the rate of irrigation expansion and its impact on the water balance of the sub-basin. This study collected and organized smallholder irrigation data in the subbasin to identify the actual irrigated area, the abstracted irrigation water, and its implications on seasonal water availability. The area under small-scale irrigation was estimated through data obtained from ’woredas’ (districts) databases. Crop patterns were obtained through field surveys. Irrigation water abstracted at daily timescale was measured.
New hydrological insights for the Region: In the sub-basin, 38,694 ha was under small-scale irrigation in 2020/21. Surface water is the dominant water source, and it supplies about 80% of irrigation withdrawal. Water abstraction for small-scale irrigation is about 430 MCM per dry season (~50% of dry season flow). The eastern side of the sub-basin faces water shortages as the dry season flow is not sufficient for irrigation. With the prospects of more irrigation expansion, small-scale irrigation water withdrawals pose concerns of water scarcity at local level and to the water balance of the sub-basin. Hence, there is urgent need for adaptive management of the small-scale irrigation effect on the sub-basin’s hydrology.
4 Wanyama, J.; Soddo, P.; Nakawuka, P.; Tumutegyereize, P.; Bwambale, E.; Oluk, I.; Mutumba, W.; Komakech, A.J. 2023. Development of a solar powered smart irrigation control system Kit. Smart Agricultural Technology, 5:100273. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atech.2023.100273]
Solar powered irrigation systems ; Irrigation scheduling ; Irrigation systems ; Water use ; Soil moisture ; Farmers ; Water levels
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052142)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772375523001028/pdfft?md5=32e82accc21250fb131b348319f66d47&pid=1-s2.0-S2772375523001028-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052142.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052142.pdf
(7.87 MB) (7.87 MB)
The adverse effects of climate change and climate variability are hindering agricultural productivity in developing countries. When combined with the laborious nature of irrigated agriculture, many smallholder farmers in these countries abandon irrigation systems or occasionally fail to implement an irrigation event due to other commitments. Therefore, this necessitates smart technology advances in agriculture to deal with irrigated agriculture problems of energy use efficiency, cost, water conservation, and drudgery. This study aimed at developing a mobile solar-powered control system for real-time scheduling using feedback from soil moisture sensors. A smart solar-powered irrigation control system (Smart Irri-Kit) was developed to schedule and automate water delivery to crops based on soil moisture levels. Itincorporates an automated tank water level control system that triggers pump activation during irrigation. The Kit was designed, fabricated, programmed, and field tested at Makerere University Agricultural Research Station Kabanyolo, using sandy clay loam soil. In this study, efficient irrigation scheduling and relay of soil moisture updates to the farmers were achieved. The Smart Irri-Kit soil moisture sensors were able to detect soil moisture with no significant difference from the gravimetric method. The development of the solar-powered Smart Irri-Kit presents a sustainable and automated solution for optimizing irrigation practices, contributing to water conservation and improved crop yield. The integration of solar power enhances its autonomy and reduces operational costs. Future research directions include the incorporation of weather parameters and advanced communication capabilities for remote monitoring and control. Overall, the Smart Irri-Kit holds great potential in promoting efficient and sustainable irrigation practices in agriculture
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