Muktar BY and Yigezu TT
Appropriate irrigation practice is relevant for increased crop productivity and conservation of water resources. No or little concern has been given to the necessity and extension of existing irrigation technologies while the impacts of climate change are visible throughout Ethiopia. A field study was carried out for determining optimal irrigation scheduling for maize production at Teppi, South west Ethiopia for three successive years. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the effect of different irrigation regime (different soil moisture depletion levels) on yield and water use efficiency of hybrid maize (BH-140). The treatments were set based on the recommended soil moisture depletion levels for maize (MAD=0.55). Then five levels of soil moisture depletion were selected for evaluation of optimum irrigation scheduling namely SMD1 (60%), SMD2 (80%), SMD3 (100%), SMD4 (120%), and SMD5 (140% of the recommended value, 0.55). The result indicated that SMD4 has significantly (P<0.05) increased the grain yield and water use efficiency of maize crop on a clay loam textured soil. In addition the total crop water requirement was 535.60 mm. However, the reduced soil moisture depletion level below the recommended values (SMD1 and SMD2) has resulted lower both grain yield and crop water use efficiency. This study also revealed that the appropriate irrigation interval at each crop growth stage should be identified for ease of work to the users.
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