Improving crop water use in West Africa in the context of climate change

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sehouevi Mawuton David Agoungbome ◽  
Nick van de Giesen ◽  
Frank Ohene Annor ◽  
Marie-Claire ten Veldhuis
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
West Africa ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Rainfall Variability ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
Crop Water ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Crop Water Use

<p>Africa’s population is growing fast and is expected to double by 2050, meaning the food production must follow the cadence in order to meet the demand. However, one of the major challenges of agriculture in Africa is productivity (World Bank, 2009; IFRI, 2016). For instance, more than 40 million hectares of farmland were dedicated to maize in Africa in 2017 (approx. 20% of world total maize farms), but only 7.4% of the total world maize production came from the African continent (FAO, 2017). This shows the poor productivity which has its causes rooted in lack of good climate and weather information, slow technology uptake and financial support for farmers. In West Africa, where more than 70% of crop production is rain-fed, millions of farmers depend on rainfall, yet the region is one of the most vulnerable and least monitored in terms of climate change and rainfall variability. With a high uncertainty of future climate conditions in the region, one must foresee the big challenges ahead: farmers will be exposed to a lot of damages and losses leading to food insecurity resulting in famine and poverty if measures are not put in place to improve productivity. This study aims at addressing low productivity in agriculture by providing farmers with the right moment to start farming in order to improve efficiency and productivity of crop water use. By analyzing yield response to water availability of specific crops using AquaCrop, the Food and Agriculture Organization crop growth model, we investigate the crop water productivity variability throughout the rainy season and come up with recommendations that help optimize rainfall water use and maximize crop yield.</p>

Response of four grain legumes to water stress in south-eastern Queensland. IV. Interaction with sowing arrangement

1983 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 661 ◽  
Author(s):  
RJ Lawn
Keyword(s):  
Water Stress ◽  
Population Density ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Spatial Arrangement ◽  
Crop Growth ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
Crop Water ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Crop Water Use ◽  
South Eastern

The effect of spatial arrangement and population density on growth, dry matter production, yield and water use of black gram (Vigna mungo cv. Regur), green gram (V. radiata cv. Berken), cowpea (V. unguiculata CPI 28215) and soybean (Glycine rnax CP126671), under irrigated, rain-fed fallowed and rain-fed double-cropped culture was evaluated at Dalby in south-eastern Queensland. Equidistant spacings increased initial rates of leaf area index (LAI) development and crop water use compared with 1-m rows at the same population densities. In the irrigated and rain-fed fallowed treatments, where more water was available for crop growth, both seed yields and total crop water use were higher in the equidistant spacings. However, in the double-cropped treatment, where water availability was limited, there was no yield difference between rows and equidistant spacings, primarily because initially faster growth in the latter was offset by more severe water stress later in the season. Higher population density also increased initial crop growth rate and water use, particularly in the equidistant spacings. However, there was no significant yield response to density, presumably because subsequent competition for light/ water offset initial effects on growth. Although absolute yield differences existed between legume cultivars within cultural treatments, there were no significant differential responses to either spatial arrangement or population density among these four cultivars.

scholarly journals A simulation study on the effect of climate change on crop water use and chill unit accumulation

2017 ◽  
Vol 113 (7/8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abiodun A. Ogundeji ◽  
Henry Jordaan
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Irrigation System ◽  
Future Climate ◽  
Crop Water ◽  
Crop Water Use ◽  
Chill Unit ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Impact

Climate change and its impact on already scarce water resources are of global importance, but even more so for water scarce countries. Apart from the effect of climate change on water supply, the chill unit requirement of deciduous fruit crops is also expected to be affected. Although research on crop water use has been undertaken, researchers have not taken the future climate into consideration. They also have focused on increasing temperatures but failed to relate temperature to chill unit accumulation, especially in South Africa. With a view of helping farmers to adapt to climate change, in this study we provide information that will assist farmers in their decision-making process for adaptation and in the selection of appropriate cultivars of deciduous fruits. Crop water use and chill unit requirements are modelled for the present and future climate. Results show that, irrespective of the irrigation system employed, climate change has led to increases in crop water use. Water use with the drip irrigation system was lower than with sprinkler irrigation as a result of efficiency differences in the irrigation technologies. It was also confirmed that the accumulated chill units will decrease in the future as a consequence of climate change. In order to remain in production, farmers need to adapt to climate change stress by putting in place water resources and crop management plans. Thus, producers must be furnished with a variety of adaptation or management strategies to overcome the impact of climate change.

Managing water resources in Libya through reducing irrigation water demand: more crop production with less water use

2013 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 95-102
Author(s):  
Saad Ahmad Alghariani
Keyword(s):  
Water Use ◽  
Water Demand ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
National Level ◽  
Crop Water ◽  
Irrigation Water Demand ◽  
Crop Water Productivity

AbstractThe looming water crisis in Libya necessitates taking immediate action to reduce the agricultural water demand that consumes more than 80% of the water supplies. The available information on water use efficiency and crop water productivity reveals that this proportion can be effectively reduced while maintaining the same, if not more, total agricultural production at the national level. Crop water productivity, which is depressingly low, can be doubled through implementing several measures including relocating all major agricultural crops among different hydroclimatic zones and growth seasons; crop selection based on comparative production advantages; realisation of the maximum genetically determined crop yields; and several other measures of demand water management. There is an urgent need to establish the necessary institutional arrangements that can effectively formulate and implement these measures as guided by agricultural research and extension services incorporating all beneficiaries and stakeholders in the process.

scholarly journals Assessment of Crop Water Productivity in an Intensively Cultivated Watershed of Peninsular India

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Avil Kumar ◽  
M. Uma Devi ◽  
M.D. Reddy ◽  
A. Mani ◽  
D.V. Mahalaxmi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ground Water ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Standard Procedure ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Rice Crop ◽  
Crop Water ◽  
Peninsular India

Background: India is facing high water stress and it is amongst those with the most fragile and uncertain water resource countries in the world. Crop productivity depends on quality of input supply including seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and supported by irrigation facilities. In India, ground water irrigates more than 61% of net cropped area and much of water being used for irrigating rice crop. The disproportionate water uses for crop production results in poor water productivity. The planning of water resources could be achieved by knowing the crop water requirements in different seasons and productivity of water. Hence, study was taken up to assess the water use and productivity of crops under intensively ground water irrigated watershed.Methods: A study conducted to assess the water use and productivity of different crops grown in Kothakunta sub watershed (having 206 working bore wells with cultivated area of 203.5 ha) in Siddipet district of Telangana, India during kharif and rabi season of 2008 to 2012, data were collected from 147 farmers on rice, maize, cotton, potato, flora beans and tomato crops grown under irrigation. The water applied to crops was measured by fixing water meters at the end of water delivery pipe and recorded the quantity of water applied each time. For rice crop four plots were taken and for other crops two plots were taken for measuring the water. The water use and productivity were assessed by using standard procedure. Result: The water productivity was found to be higher to vegetables, which ranged between 2.43 kg of potato, 1.57 kg of beans and 1.26 kg of tomato than cereals (0.79 kg for maize and 0.39 kg for rabi rice) per cubic meter of irrigation water consumed. Water productivity in terms of monetary return (₹) per cubic meter of water consumed was higher with beans (₹ 17.20) in contrast to potato (₹ 16.12). Rice equivalent yield (REY) calculated per cubic meter of irrigation water consumption was very similar to economic return (₹ per cubic meter of water).

scholarly journals Review: Climate change and the water footprint of wheat production in Zimbabwe

Water SA ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (3 July) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simbarashe Govere ◽  
Justice Nyamangara ◽  
Emerson Z Nyakatawa
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Crop Water ◽  
Wheat Production ◽  
Fertilization Effect ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Reductions in the water footprint (WF) of crop production, that is, increasing crop water productivity (CWP), is touted as a universal panacea to meet future food demands in the context of global water scarcity. However, efforts to reduce the WF of crop production may be curtailed by the effects of climate change. This study reviewed the impacts of climate change on the WF of wheat production in Zimbabwe with the aim of identifying research gaps. Results of the review revealed limited local studies on the impacts of climate change on the WF of wheat production within Zimbabwe. Despite this, relevant global and regional studies suggest that climate change will likely result in a higher WF in Zimbabwe as well as at the global and regional level. These impacts will be due to reductions in wheat yields and increases in crop water requirements due to high temperatures, despite the CO2 fertilization effect. The implications of a higher WF of wheat production under future climate change scenarios in Zimbabwe may not be sustainable given the semi-arid status of the country. The study reviewed crop-level climate change adaptation strategies that might be implemented to lower the WF of wheat production in Zimbabwe.

scholarly journals Evaluating Climate Change Impact of Rainfed Maize Production Yield in Southern Ethiopia

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kinde Negessa Disasa ◽  
Haofang Yan
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Time Horizon ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Rainfall Variability ◽  
Maximum Temperature ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
Southern Ethiopia ◽  
Maize Production ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation ◽  
Study Results

Abstract A developing country like Ethiopia suffers a lot from the effects of climate change due to its limited economic capability to build irrigation projects to combat climate change's impact on crop production. This study evaluates climate change's impact on rainfed maize production in the Southern part of Ethiopia. AquaCrop, developed by FAO that simulates the crop yield response to water deficit conditions, is employed to assess potential rainfed maize production in the study area with and without climate change. The Stochastic weather generators model LARS-WG of the latest version is used to simulate local-scale level climate variables based on low-resolution GCM outputs. The expected monthly percentage change of rainfall during these two-time horizons (2040 and 2060) ranges from -23.18 to 20.23% and -14.8 to 36.66 respectively. Moreover, the monthly mean of the minimum and maximum temperature are estimated to increase in the range of 1.296 0C to 2.192 0C and 0.98 0C to 1.84 0C for the first time horizon (2031-2050) and from 1.860C to 3.40C and 1.560C to 3.180C in the second time horizon (2051-2070), respectively. Maize yields are expected to increase with the range of 4.13–7% and 6.36–9.32% for the respective time horizon in the study area provided that all other parameters were kept the same. In conclusion, the study results suggest that rainfed maize yield responds positively to climate change if all field management, soil fertility, and crop variety improve were kept the same to baseline; but since there is intermodal rainfall variability among the seasons planting date should be scheduled well to combat water stress on crops. The authors believe that this study is very likely important for regional development agents (DA) and policymakers to cope up with the climate change phenomenon and take some mitigation and adaptation strategies.

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