Effect of Deficit Irrigation on Yield and Water Use Efficiency of Maize at Indris Irrigation Scheme in Western Oromia, Ethiopia

Water shortages are a critical issue in the agricultural sector. An experiment was conducted in the field to evaluate the effects of deficit irrigation on maize yields and water productivity. There was a significant (P<0.01) effect of deficit irrigation levels on yield and yield component parameters. A maximum grain yield of 5346.9 kg/ha and a lowest grain yield of 3061.5 kg/ha were obtained with 100% ETC and 50% ETC, respectively. It was found that 50% ETC produced the maximum irrigation water use efficiency (1.08 kg/m3) and 100% ETC produced the minimum irrigation water use efficiency (0.94 kg/m3). According to the economic analysis, applying 75% ETC under conventional furrow irrigation systems is economically feasible for small-scale farmers. As a result, applying 75% ETC to conventional furrows allowed for a water savings of 1288.8 m3/ha, which was then used to irrigate an additional 0.33 ha that could be used for downstream irrigation users in irrigation scheme.