Year-Round Irrigation Schedule for a Tomato–Maize Rotation System in Reservoir-Based Irrigation Schemes in Ghana
1
Department of Ecology and Natural Resources Management, Center for Development Research, University of Bonn, Genscherallee 3, 53113 Bonn, Germany
2
CSIR-Soil Research Institute, Academy Post Office, Private Mail Bag, Kwadaso-Kumasi, Ghana
3
Department of Geography, University of Bonn, Meckenheimer Allee 166, 53115 Bonn, Germany
4
Division of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Korea University, 145 Anam-Ro, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul 02841, Korea
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Water 2018, 10(5), 624; https://doi.org/10.3390/w10050624
Received: 23 March 2018 / Revised: 30 April 2018 / Accepted: 8 May 2018 / Published: 10 May 2018
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Management for Sustainable Food Production)
Improving irrigation management in semi-arid regions of Sub-Saharan Africa is crucial to respond to increasing variability in rainfall and overcome deficits in current irrigation schemes. In small-scale and medium-scale reservoir-based irrigation schemes in the Upper East region of Ghana, we explored options for improving the traditional, dry season irrigation practices and assessed the potential for supplemental irrigation in the rainy season. The AquaCrop model was used to (i) assess current water management in the typical tomato-maize rotational system; (ii) develop an improved irrigation schedule for dry season cultivation of tomato; and (iii) determine the requirement for supplemental irrigation of maize in the rainy season under different climate scenarios. The improved irrigation schedule for dry season tomato cultivation would result in a water saving of 130–1325 mm compared to traditional irrigation practices, accompanied by approximately a 4–14% increase in tomato yield. The supplemental irrigation of maize would require 107–126 mm of water in periods of low rainfall and frequent dry spells, and 88–105 mm in periods of high rainfall and rare dry spells. Therefore, year-round irrigated crop production may be feasible, using water saved during dry season tomato cultivation for supplemental irrigation of maize in the rainy season.
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Keywords:
AquaCrop model; capillary rise; climate change; rainfall variability; supplemental irrigation
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MDPI and ACS Style
Sekyi-Annan, E.; Tischbein, B.; Diekkrüger, B.; Khamzina, A. Year-Round Irrigation Schedule for a Tomato–Maize Rotation System in Reservoir-Based Irrigation Schemes in Ghana. Water 2018, 10, 624.
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