Abstract

Aim: The main objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of irrigation scheduling methods on water use efficiency, yield and economic return from Potato under furrow irrigation system.

Materials and Methods: The performance of four irrigation scheduling methods; Hand Feel Method, Soil moisture sample method, Calculating evapotranspiration losses and Farmer Practice were evaluated under furrow irrigation. Based on this study Farmer Practice was more frequent (15 irrigation events) than Hand Feel Method (13 irrigation events). However Hand Feel Irrigation scheduling method was more frequent than Soil moisture sample method and Calculating evapotranspiration losses.

Results: The Calculating evapotranspiration losses and Soil moisture sample method irrigation scheduling methods  saved water by approximately 36.5% and 22% (two-season means), respectively, as compared to  Hand Feel Method. The highest marketable tuber yield (21620 Kg/ha) was obtained from soil moisture sampling method, whereas the lowest marketable tuber yield (13953.4 Kg/ha) was recorded from Farmer Practice. The highest WUE (6.6 kg m^-3) was recorded for Evapotranspiration irrigation scheduling method, followed by 5.9 kg m^-3 for Soil moisture sampling irrigation scheduling method, whereas the lowest WUE ( 2.1 kg m^-3) was recorded for the Farmer practice. From those, two irrigation scheduling methods evapotranspiration losses and Soil moisture sample method were best performed at both locations.

Conclusion: It was concluded that irrigating by using evapotranspiration losses irrigation scheduling method save more irrigation water regardless of minimum yield difference when compared with Soil moisture sample irrigation scheduling method. 

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