Impact of Irrigation Method on Water Use Efficiency and Productivity of Fodder Crops in Nepal

Climate

Ajay K Jha⁶  Razan Malla²  Mohan Sharma³  Jeeban Panthi⁵  Tarendra Lakhankar¹  Nir Y. Krakauer⁴  Soni M. Pradhanang⁷  Piyush Dahal⁵ 

[1] NOAA-Cooperative Remote Sensing Science & Technology (CREST) Center, The City College of New York, City University of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA;Department of Soil Science and Agri-Engineering, Institute of Agriculture and Animal Sciences, Tribhuwan University, Rampur, Chitwan 44209, Nepal;Directorate of Continuing Education Center, Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur, Chitwan 44209, Nepal;Department of Civil Engineering and NOAA-CREST, The City College of New York, City University of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA;The Small Earth Nepal, 626 Bhakti Thapa Sadak, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal;;Institute for Global Agriculture & Technology Transfer (IGATT), Fort Collins, CO 80523, USADepartment of Geosciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA;

关键词: Irrigation efficiency;    drip irrigation;    forage biomass;    Nepal;   

DOI  :  10.3390/cli4010004

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Improved irrigation use efficiency is an important tool for intensifying and diversifying agriculture in Nepal, resulting in higher economic yield from irrigated farmlands with a minimum input of water. Research was conducted to evaluate the effect of irrigation method (furrow vs. drip) on the productivity of nutritious fodder species during off-monsoon dry periods in different elevation zones of central Nepal. A split-block factorial design was used. The factors considered were treatment location, fodder crop, and irrigation method. Commonly used local agronomical practices were followed in all respects except irrigation method. Results revealed that location effect was significant (p < 0.01) with highest fodder productivity seen for the middle elevation site, Syangja. Species effects were also significant, with teosinte (Euchlaena mexicana) having higher yield than cowpea (Vigna unguiculata). Irrigation method impacted green biomass yield (higher with furrow irrigation) but both methods yielded similar dry biomass, while water use was 73% less under drip irrigation. Our findings indicated that the controlled application of water through drip irrigation is able to produce acceptable yields of nutritionally dense fodder species during dry seasons, leading to more effective utilization and resource conservation of available land, fertilizer and water. Higher productivity of these nutritional fodders resulted in higher milk productivity for livestock smallholders. The ability to grow fodder crops year-round in lowland and hill regions of Nepal with limited water storages using low-cost, water-efficient drip irrigation may greatly increase livestock productivity and, hence, the economic security of smallholder farmers.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2016 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.