Research Article
Small-scale Irrigation Scheme Utilization and Farmers’ Willingness to Pay for Irrigation Water: The Case of Bosha-01 Irrigation Scheme in Central Oromia
Takele Mengesha Goshu*
,
Getahun Nagari Nukuse,
Tekle Leza Mega,
Senapathy Marisennayya
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 4, August 2025
Pages:
78-93
Received:
26 March 2025
Accepted:
8 July 2025
Published:
4 August 2025
Abstract: Irrigated agriculture plays a crucial role in enhancing domestic food security and alleviating poverty. However, many of the small-scale irrigation schemes in Ethiopia are operating below their full potential. In several schemes, there is a noticeable gap between the designed potential and the actual area irrigated. This discrepancy is primarily due to poor management and a lack of regular maintenance. Furthermore, the absence of irrigation service fees, which would allow farmers to fund routine maintenance and ensure the sustainability of the irrigation schemes, has been a significant obstacle. This study aimed to identify the factors influencing household participation in small-scale irrigation schemes, the intensity of irrigation water use, and farmers’ willingness to pay for water use. It was conducted in the Arsi Zone, Tiyo District, focusing on the Bosha-01 small-scale irrigation scheme, with a sample of 150 households. The results of the two-limit Tobit model indicated that several factors significantly influenced participation and water use intensity, including the household’s education level, involvement in irrigation scheme planning, access to extension services, and the distance from the main road. Additionally, the study found that the mean willingness to pay (WTP) for irrigation water use was 155.33 Birr per 0.25 hectares per year. The censored regression model revealed that family size, income from crop production, and the household’s perception of water sufficiency significantly affected farmers’ WTP. The findings also highlighted that the irrigation scheme was underperforming, poorly managed, and lacked any system for charging users or requiring contributions for maintenance. Based on these results, the study recommends several policy measures, including strengthening institutional frameworks, coordinating actions among stakeholders, training farmers to encourage greater participation in scheme maintenance, developing social services, and improving farmers' incomes. These measures are essential to ensure the sustainable utilization of irrigation schemes.
Abstract: Irrigated agriculture plays a crucial role in enhancing domestic food security and alleviating poverty. However, many of the small-scale irrigation schemes in Ethiopia are operating below their full potential. In several schemes, there is a noticeable gap between the designed potential and the actual area irrigated. This discrepancy is primarily du...
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Research Article
Physico-chemical Assessment and Environmental Quality of the Waters of Lake Buyo During the Low-water Period of the River Sassandra (South-west Côte d’Ivoire)
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 4, August 2025
Pages:
94-106
Received:
9 July 2025
Accepted:
22 July 2025
Published:
12 August 2025
Abstract: In Côte d'Ivoire, almost a dozen hydroelectric dams have been built since 1965, with the opening of the Ayamé 1 dam. These dams, in addition to their primary vocation of generating electricity, also serve other functions such as recreation, tourism, flood control and supplying drinking water to local populations. Lake Buyo is a natural resource of considerable interest for the economic development of Côte d'Ivoire. The Buyo dam, built on the Sassandra River in 1980, is no exception. The aim of this study was to assess the water quality of Lake Buyo during low-water periods of the Sassandra River. To do this, water samples and measurements were taken in the lake in March 2021. In situ measurements showed that the waters were warm, with an average temperature of 32.4°C. The waters were alkaline, with fairly low electrical conductivity. These waters were relatively well oxygenated at the surface and deoxygenated at depth during the dry season. On the other hand, the average concentration of suspended solids (SS) was 4.8 mg/L, and the transparency of 1.48 m showed that the the lake’s waters were not very loaded. Based on the nitrate (1.56 mg/L) and ammonium (0.13 mg/L) concentrations, the raw water analyzed complies with the WHO 2017 guidelines for drinking water production, with overall good quality in terms of nitrogen pollution.
Abstract: In Côte d'Ivoire, almost a dozen hydroelectric dams have been built since 1965, with the opening of the Ayamé 1 dam. These dams, in addition to their primary vocation of generating electricity, also serve other functions such as recreation, tourism, flood control and supplying drinking water to local populations. Lake Buyo is a natural resource of ...
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Research Article
Evaluation of the Effects of Irrigation and Inorganic Fertilizers Management on Yield and Water Productivity of Tomato
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 4, August 2025
Pages:
107-117
Received:
11 July 2025
Accepted:
25 July 2025
Published:
12 August 2025
Abstract: Efficient use of water and fertilizers by crops calls for revised or new agricultural crop management practices to sustain agricultural production. Improved irrigation and fertilizer management will be needed to reduce nutrient leaching from horticultural crops. Over-irrigation increases the leaching of nitrogen (nitrogen is very soluble in water) and hence the amount of applied nitrogen required for maximum yield. This experiment was conducted at Adami Tulu Agricultural Research Center with the objective of evaluating the effects of different irrigation levels and N-fertilizer rates on yield and yield components of tomato. The treatments of the experiment had factorial combinations of four irrigation levels of watering and five N-fertilizer amounts. The results revealed that different fertilizer rate produced higher tomato with the amount of water applied. The growth, yield and yield contributing characters like plant height, fruit length, fruit diameter, and fruit weight per plant were influenced significantly by different levels of irrigation and fertilizer rate. Whereas, the interaction between Irrigation levels and nitrogen rate were all also significant for all characters of yield components. Maximum grain yield of 115.64 qt ha-1 was recorded in plots treated with nitrogen dose of 110 kg ha-1 when compared to other treatments. Similarly, maximum tomato yield of 117.94 qt ha-1 was recorded in 100% ETc of applied water while minimum yield of 89.4 and 108.70 qt ha-1 was harvested from plots sown with 125% ETc water applied and application of 90 kg N ha-1 respectively. It can be concluded from these results that 100% ETc of applied water and fertilizer N at the rate of 110 kg ha-1 produced economical crop of tomato under climatic conditions of the study area.
Abstract: Efficient use of water and fertilizers by crops calls for revised or new agricultural crop management practices to sustain agricultural production. Improved irrigation and fertilizer management will be needed to reduce nutrient leaching from horticultural crops. Over-irrigation increases the leaching of nitrogen (nitrogen is very soluble in water) ...
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