Comparison Of Contineous And Surge Flow On Alternate And Conventional Furrow Irrigation

Abstract

Furrow irrigation is the most widely practiced form of surface irrigation in the central valley of Ethiopia. The system is ineffective and inefficient form of irrigation requiring improvement of irrigation water management practices. Field study was undertaken at Melkassa Agricultural Research Center to compare continuous and surge flow on alternate and conventional furrow irrigation with a field grown with Haricot bean Awash II variety. The experiment consists of two irrigation systems, viz., alternate and conventional furrow irrigation and three irrigation flow methods viz., continuous, surge-1wih cycle ratio 1/3 and surge-2 with cycle ratio ½. Six treatment combinations replicated three times were arranged in a randomized complete block design. The results of advance and recession of water showed that water advance for ½ cycle ratio of surge on alternative furrow irrigation was very rapid and reached the lower end of the furrow in a shorter time followed by cycle ratio 1/3 and continuous flow which resulted in longer advance time. The interaction effect of the irrigation system and irrigation flow methods did not show a statistically significant difference (p<0.05) in the performance indicators, crop yield and water use efficiency. The furrow irrigation systems don’t have significant effect on the yield of haricot bean. However, the irrigation flow methods were significantly affected the irrigation performance indicators viz., application efficiency, distribution uniformity and storage efficiency. Higher crop yield (2383.3 kg/ha), water use efficiency (0.76 - 0.99kg/m3), application efficiency (55.31–60.82 %), distribution uniformity (78.9 – 84.0 %), storage efficiency (71.2-75.3 %) and distribution efficiency (80.67-82.76 %) were obtained from both surge flow and alternate furrow irrigation. Surge irrigation was found in the study area as it saves water, reduces irrigation period, and increases the crop yield.