Managing rainfall variability in arid rainfed agriculture using adaptive varieties and in-situ water harvesting
Date
2015
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Sudan Academy Publishing and Distribution House, Khartoum, SD
Abstract
This investigation was to establish a water harvesting technique for adaptation to rainfall variability in rainfed sorghum production and relate it to yield in Gedarif area. A field experiment was conducted for two successive seasons (2009-2010). A split-split plot design was used to test the hypothesis that crop yield was affected by three methods of sowing representing in-situ water harvesting techniques, namely; wide level disc in rows 80 cm apart using row planter and at bottom of ridges 80 cm. Three sorghum varieties were used, Arfa Gadamak8, Wad Ahmed and Bashaer. Nitrogen fertilizer of zero and 0.5N of urea was applied. In season 2009, there was a significant difference between mean of yield of Arfa_Gadamak8 and Wad-Ahmed varieties, with the latter requiring longer time to mature. Water harvesting technique increased yield as a result of increased soil moisture content. There were high simple correlation coefficients between rainfall and grain per head, head weight and length of head. It was concluded that climate change adaptation strategies for rainfed agriculture under low rainfall conditions should consider the combination of short maturing variety such as Arfa-Gadamak8 variety and in-situ water harvesting techniques.
Description
item.page.type
Journal Article (peer-reviewed)
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Keywords
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION, RAINFED FARMING, WATER HARVESTING, SORGHUM, FOOD SECURITY, SUDAN, SOWING METHODS, WATER MANAGEMENT
Citation
Babiker, K.E., Mohamed, A.A.W., Ali-Babiker, I.E.A., & Mohammed, H.O. (2015). Managing Rainfall Variability in Arid Rainfed Agriculture Using Adaptive Varieties and In-situ Water Harvesting. Sudan Academy of Sciences Journal-Special Issue (Climate Change), 11: 74-81.