Water Productivity and Economic Analysis of Irrigated Upland Rice in the Fogera, Northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Irrigation is critical to Ethiopia's national economy in terms of increasing income and achieving food security. A total of 39.35 Mha of potential rice cultivation area is available in Ethiopia, 3.7 Mha of which are irrigable. Despite this potential, the country is importing a huge amount of rice to meet the increasing food demand. This is because, an irrigated rice production and its water productivity was not practiced. Determining the water productivity and economic feasibility of irrigated rice in the Ethiopian context is supremely important to replace the imported rice. Hence, the goal of this study is to determine the water productivity and economic analysis of NERICA-4 variety upland rice under optimal irrigation scheduling in the Fogera plain. Thirty one year climate data from Bahir Dar and Woreta metrological station were used to compute the reference crop evapotranspiration and the crop factors were used to compute the rice crop evapotranspiration. The effective rainfall was determined using CROPWAT model to determine the irrigation water requirement. Five experimental treatments; recommended manageable allowable soil moisture depletion (MAD) of rice as a control (100%), 60%, 80%, 120%, and 140% MAD. The randomized complete block design in four replications were used. The optimum depletion level based on the highest yield (7164 kg ha^-1), highest water productivity (1.85 kg m^-3), and higher economic water productivity (0.87 US$ m^-3) was obtained at 80% of MAD. Therefore, based on the highest water productivity and economic water productivity 80% MAD water application was recommended for the Fogera plain and, other similar areas in agro-ecology and soil property areas shows better water and economic water productivity.