IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agiwat/v216y2019icp206-213.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Effects of three in-field water harvesting technologies on soil water content and maize yields in a semi-arid region of Zimbabwe

Author

Listed:
  • Nyagumbo, Isaiah
  • Nyamadzawo, George
  • Madembo, Connie

Abstract

Climate change and recurring mid-season dry spells have resulted in perennial droughts and poor yields in most smallholder farming areas located in marginal arid to semi-arid lands (ASAL) of Zimbabwe where they are dependent on rainwater for agricultural crop production. One approach that can be used to adapt to changing climatic pattern is in-field water harvesting. This study evaluated the soil profile water content and maize yields of 3 infield water harvesting technologies namely infiltration pits (IF), fanya juus (FJ) and contour ridges with cross ties (CRCT) in comparison to standard contour ridges (SC). The three systems are currently the focus of extension recommendations for water conservation in semi-arid regions of the country. Soil water content was measured on a regular basis using gravimetric methods at locations upslope and down slope of each structure. The average volumetric water content was signifcantly different between treatments, and it varied with increasing distance from the water harvesting structures. The average profile soil moisture content, over the three seasons were 8.3, 8.2, 8.1 and 7.8% for CRCT, FJ, IF and SC repectively. CRCT, FJ and IF retained more water for a greater distance from the harvesting structures compared to the SC. Maize yields were significantly higher in the water harvesting technologies compared to SC. Maize yields were 1196, 1164, 1250 and 749 kg ha−1 for CRCT, FJ, IF and SC respectively. There as a good correlation between water content and maize yields (R2 = 0.80). It was concluded that improved water harvesting structures when compared to SC have the potential to increase maize yields in areas with water shortages, hence they can be a useful strategy for climate change adaptation.

Suggested Citation

  • Nyagumbo, Isaiah & Nyamadzawo, George & Madembo, Connie, 2019. "Effects of three in-field water harvesting technologies on soil water content and maize yields in a semi-arid region of Zimbabwe," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 216(C), pages 206-213.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:216:y:2019:i:c:p:206-213
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2019.02.023
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377419303221
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agwat.2019.02.023?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ngigi, Stephen N. & Savenije, Hubert H.G. & Thome, Josephine N. & Rockstrom, Johan & de Vries, F.W.T. Penning, 2005. "Agro-hydrological evaluation of on-farm rainwater storage systems for supplemental irrigation in Laikipia district, Kenya," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 73(1), pages 21-41, April.
    2. World Bank, 2012. "World Development Indicators 2012," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6014.
    3. World Bank, 2009. "World Development Indicators 2009," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 4367.
    4. William R. Cline, 2007. "Global Warming and Agriculture: Impact Estimates by Country," Peterson Institute Press: All Books, Peterson Institute for International Economics, number 4037, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kazuhiro Obayashi, 2014. "Information, rebel organization and civil war escalation: The case of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam," International Area Studies Review, Center for International Area Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, vol. 17(1), pages 21-40, March.
    2. Arnstein Aassve & Francesco Billari & L√àa Pessin, 2012. "Trust and fertility dynamics," Working Papers 055, "Carlo F. Dondena" Centre for Research on Social Dynamics (DONDENA), Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi.
    3. Cochrane, Nancy & D'Souza, Anna, 2015. "Measuring Access to Food in Tanzania: A Food Basket Approach," Amber Waves:The Economics of Food, Farming, Natural Resources, and Rural America, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, issue 02, pages 1-13, March.
    4. Ghazi Ibrahim Al-Assaf, 2016. "Do International Remittances Affect the Performance of Labor Market in Jordan? An Impirical Investigation," Working Papers 1014, Economic Research Forum, revised Jun 2016.
    5. Peter Farkas, 2011. "On the nature of the present world economic crisis. A non-neoliberal sketch," IWE Working Papers 198, Institute for World Economics - Centre for Economic and Regional Studies.
    6. Jeong-Soo OH, 2014. "Does ASEAN-Korea FTA Reduce Poverty in Laos? The Roles of FDI and Trade Facilitation," Journal of Social and Development Sciences, AMH International, vol. 5(2), pages 50-57.
    7. Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis Saweda & Salau, Sheu, 2013. "Spillover effects of targeted subsidies: An assessment of fertilizer and improved seed use in Nigeria," IFPRI discussion papers 1260, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Nadia Shabnam & Fabio Gaetano Santeramo & Zahid Asghar & Antonio Seccia, 2016. "The Impact of Food Price Crises on the Demand for Nutrients in Pakistan," Journal of South Asian Development, , vol. 11(3), pages 305-327, December.
    9. Tikiri Nimal Herath, 2015. "The Role of the State in Alleviation of Poverty in South Asia," South Asia Economic Journal, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, vol. 16(2), pages 257-277, September.
    10. Baah-Boateng, William, 2013. "Human Capital Development: The Case of Education as a Vehicle for Africa's Economic Transformation," MPRA Paper 109692, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Li, Aijun & Du, Nan & Wei, Qian, 2014. "The cross-country implications of alternative climate policies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 155-163.
    12. B. Sudhakara Reddy & P. Balachandra, 2013. "Benchmarking urban sustainability: A Composite index for Mumbai and Bangalore," Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai Working Papers 2013-008, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai, India.
    13. Patrice Rélouendé Zidouemba & Françoise Gerard, 2018. "Does Agricultural Productivity Actually Matter for Food Security in a Landlocked Sub†Saharan African Country? The Case of Burkina Faso," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 66(1), pages 103-142, March.
    14. Uche Ozughalu, 2016. "Relationship Between Household Food Poverty and Vulnerability to Food Poverty: Evidence from Nigeria," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 125(2), pages 567-587, January.
    15. Sara Hsu, 2013. "Financial Crises, 1929 to the Present," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 14419.
    16. Melloul Anass & Chaik Saif Eddine & Oujgha Reda, 2017. "Empirical Analysis of Islamic Banking and Economic Growth," Economic Alternatives, University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria, issue 1, pages 89-102, March.
    17. Mekonnen, Daniel Ayalew & Gerber, Nicolas & Matz, Julia Anna, 2018. "Gendered Social Networks, Agricultural Innovations, and Farm Productivity in Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 321-335.
    18. Kaika, Dimitra & Zervas, Efthimios, 2013. "The environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) theory. Part B: Critical issues," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 1403-1411.
    19. Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis Saweda, 2012. "Targeted Subsidies and Private Market Participation: An Assessment of Fertilizer Demand in Nigeria:," IFPRI discussion papers 1194, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    20. Okada, Keisuke, 2012. "The effects of female HIV/AIDS status on fertility and child health in Cambodia," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(5), pages 560-570.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:216:y:2019:i:c:p:206-213. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agwat .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.