Investigating Cutoff Technique for Improved Water Saving and Productivity in Furrow Irrigation System
Publication: Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 147, Issue 12
Abstract
The cutoff technique has not been adequately investigated despite being the most practiced among smallholder farmers. This study aimed at scenarios of improving water application efficiency, distribution uniformity, and productivity for the technique. Three cutoff treatments where water supply was stopped with the advance phases reaching 75%, 80%, and 90% of furrow length were investigated with eight irrigation events. Mean application efficiencies with significant difference () of 70%, 66.4%, and 63% were achieved for the 75%, 80%, and 90% length cutoff treatments respectively. Corresponding uniformities and water productivities of 90, 89.9%, 89.2% and 1.54, 1.38, , respectively, were obtained with no significant difference (). The results demonstrated the 75% cutoff has the potential of saving water of up to 26% without compromising water productivity. It is recommended therefore that the 75% cutoff position of water supply be promoted among the smallholder farmers and that research studies should now intensify for less than 75% cutoff.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all of the data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author on request.
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Data on field experiment measurements,
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Climate data used to calculate potential evapotranspiration and irrigation water requirements,
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CROPWAT software and its outputs,
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SPSS software outputs,
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Soil analysis, and
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Installed weather station data measurements from April 2019 to December 2019.
Acknowledgments
This study was supported by the Government of Malawi and WISE-Futures of the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Tanzania.
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Published In
Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 147 • Issue 12 • December 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 17, 2020
Accepted: Aug 18, 2021
Published online: Oct 4, 2021
Published in print: Dec 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Mar 4, 2022
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