Evaluation of water use efficiency and yield on shallot (Allium cepa L.) cultivation under conventional irrigation and sensor-based drip irrigation

Water shortage is a critical problem in unirrigated agricultural land in hilly regions, especially during the dry season. Inefficient irrigation practices and a lack of attention to crop water needs exacerbate the water shortage. A pot experiment aimed to evaluate conventional irrigation (CI) and sensor-based drip irrigation (SDI) approach on shallot cultivation in terms of total irrigation, water percolation, yield, and water use efficiency. Results revealed that the total amount of irrigation water in the CI was significantly higher than in the SDI at each growth phase, resulting in higher water percolation throughout the shallot's growth phases in the CI. The irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) value increased significantly by 87.7% in the SDI compared to the CI, but resulted in a 26.7% yield reduction. This study provides information indicating that CI tends to use excessive amounts of irrigation water, so that it requires innovative water management to be more efficient, leading to an increased yield by using the SDI approach. Irrigation practices considering optimal soil water content at each plant growth phase are essential to improve water use efficiency and prevent excessive water percolation.