Estimation of Water Requirements for producing Irrigated Rice in River Valley Bottom at Central Agricultural Station, Kumasi, Ghana

2016

English

Abstract The study was carried out to determine water requirements and fertility levels for producing irrigated rice in the valley bottom area of the Kwadaso Central Agricultural Station. Meteorological data such as rainfall, temperature, humidity, wind speed and sunshine hours, obtained from local meteorological station, were used to determine the irrigation requirement through CROPWAT model using Penman Monteith equation for producing rice in the dry season (2014). Water samples was collected from upper course, middle course and lower course of the stream as well as irrigated field for analysis and Composite soil samples were randomly collected from the field at a depth of 0-15 cm from 20 sampling spots. Water and soil quality parameters such as pH, ECiw, HCO3-, CO32-, SAR, SSP, RSC and KR and N, P, K, Ca, mg, Na and Organic carbon were also used to determine the quality levels of the irrigated water and soils. Crop evapotranspiration and irrigation requirement of rice varied from 4.00 to 5.32mm/day with a total of 647mm for the growing season, and a total of 812mm for the growing season. Though the irrigated water quality was suitable for irrigation, the soil quality level was low and required soil management practices to improve the soil quality. The study also showed that all the water quality parameters were within the permissible limit and there are no significant difference between the values in the upper course, lower course and the irrigated field.

Gaisie, E.; Sadick, A.; Quansah, G.; Edward, C.