Water requirement of some selected crops in Tono Irrigation Area, Ghana

2014

English

The study was carried out to estimate the crop water requirement of some selected crops and determine whether the reservoir capacity is sufficient to irrigate the entire area of Tono irrigation site. Crops were planted during the 2008 dry season and the crop coefficient for each was determined. The study reveals that reference crop evapotranspiration (ETo) varied from a minimum of 4.43mm/day in July to the highest of 6.47mm/day in April. Crop evapotranspiration (ETc) and crop water requirement (CWR) for paddy rice varied from 0.57 to 6.84mm/day and 0.0 to 26.78mm/day, for tomato crop evapotranspiration and crop water requirement ranged from 3.22 and 7.01mm/day and 2.16 to 7.00mm/day, for soya bean crop evapotranspiration and crop water requirement varied from 2.15 to 6.52mm/day and 2.15 to 6.45mm/day, for maize crop evapotranspiration and crop water requirement varied from 1.61 to 6.88mm/day and 1.00 to 6.88mm/day, for pepper crop evapotranspiration and crop water requirement varied from 3.22 to 6.22mm/day and 1.9 to 6.22mm/day and for groundnut crop evapotranspiration and crop water requirement varied from 2.15 to 6.77mm/day and 2.15 to 6.77 respectively. The peak water requirement was 5.79mm/day or 0.67I/s/ha and the irrigation water requirement was estimated around 61MCM. With the capacity of 442MCM the dam can conveniently supply water to irrigate the area.

Adams, S.; Quansah, G. W.; Issaka, R. N.; Asamoah, E. A.; Nketia, K. A.; Amfo-Otu, R.