https://doi.org/10.46382/MJBAS.2023.7302

Irrigation water has been identified as one of the unusual inputs, which can severely restrict agricultural production and productivity unless it is carefully well-preserved and managed. It is a wide-ranging practice using every drop of water for crop production through suitable irrigation practices. Hence, a field experiment was conducted at Bekoji Negesso area for three consecutive years, 2020-2022 to evaluate the effect of deficit irrigation on yield and water productivity of onion (Allium cepa L.) under drip irrigation for small holder farmers during dry season. Drip irrigation with two treatments viz., 75% ETc and 50% ETc irrigation levels and full irrigation (control) were done. At an operating pressure head of 1.5 m, the average emitter flow rate was 0.43 liter/hr. Drip irrigation with 100% ETc gave the highest yield 34.31 t/ha as compared to 75% ETc and 50% ETc. Water productivity 10.13 kg/m3 were found highest at 75% ETc. The amount of water saved at 75% ETc and 50% ETc were 25 and 50 % respectively. And this would be sufficient to irrigate 0.33 to 1.00 ha of additional area of onion crop. The amount of water saved from 75% ETc could compensate the decrease in crop yield on additional 0.33 ha by using the 25% of saved water. Therefore, the study suggests farmers having limited amount of water for irrigation can adopt 75% ETc of drip irrigation