This study evaluates the effect of furrow irrigation flow rate on irrigation water productivity, economic water productivity, and irrigation efficiency parameters based on the basis for furrow irrigation design and management in clay loam soil. The treatments were 50%, 70%, 85%, 100% and 120% Qmax, respectively. A randomized complete block design was used with three replications for the treatments. Based on the results, furrow irrigation inflow rate had a highly significant (P<0.01) effect on onion yield components and marketable yield. Based on the study, application of T3 (85% Qmax) resulted in the highest number of plant height, bulb diameter, bulb length and bulb weight. It was found that T3 yielded the highest marketable yield (19.61 tons/ha), while T1 yielded the lowest (13.59 tons/ha). A maximum of 3.72 kg.m-3 irrigation water productivity was achieved at T1, and a minimum of 1.89 kg.m-3 was obtained at T5. Under treatment T3 (85% Qmax), the highest economic water productivity of 35.76 ETB.m-3 was attained. In total, 4164.8 m3 of water was saved from varying furrow irrigation inflow rates per hectare, which was used to irrigate an additional 1.61 ha, giving a total yield of 24.39 tons per hectare. At T3, the best water application efficiency, requirement distribution efficiency, and total distribution efficiency were 63.75%, 89.92% and 92.62%, respectively. Application efficiency increased from 55.8% to 65.32% when furrow irrigation inflow rate increased from T1 to T3 and deep percolation loss dropped inversely from 44.52% to 36.25%. According to the results, application of T3 (85% Qmax) improved irrigation efficiency, onion marketable yield, economic water productivity and irrigation water productivity. The outcomes of this study could be useful in the management, planning and operation of furrow irrigation systems in clay loam soil.
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