Investigation on the Impact of Surface and Ground Water Use for Irrigation on Soil Salinity Development and its Effect on Plant Productivity in the Central Rift Valley Region around Lake Ziway

Hadera, Danait (2015) Investigation on the Impact of Surface and Ground Water Use for Irrigation on Soil Salinity Development and its Effect on Plant Productivity in the Central Rift Valley Region around Lake Ziway. Masters thesis, Addis Ababa University.

[img] PDF (Investigation on the Impact of Surface and Ground Water Use for Irrigation on Soil Salinity Development and its Effect on Plant Productivity in the Central Rift Valley Region around Lake Ziway)
Danait, Hadera.pdf - Accepted Version
Restricted to Repository staff only

Download (2MB) | Request a copy

Abstract

Salinization affects many irrigated areas mainly due to the use of brackish water in arid and semi-arid areas. This study was conducted in north western part of Lake Ziway, Adami Tulu Jido Kombolcha Wereda in the Central Rift Valley region of Ethiopia. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of ground and surface water use on soluble salt rise in soil and its effect on plant yield and biomass. Soil and water samples were systematically collected from the study site. Soil samples were collected from the surface water irrigated fields and ground water irrigated fields for Laboratory analysis and glass house experiment. Ground and Surface water samples were also collected for glass house experiment. The ground water was found to be slightly saline having 0.98 ds/m Electrical Conductivity whereas surface water was found to be non-saline having 0.61 ds/m. The ground water irrigated soils from the study site had an Electrical Conductivity of 2.57 ds/m while the surface water irrigated soils had an Electrical Conductivity of 1.2 ds/m. Glass house experiment was carried out to observe the impact of use of slightly saline ground water on soluble salt accumulation in soil and its effect on plant growth and biomass. The soils were subjected to Laboratory analysis once the glass houseexperiment was completed to investigate the impact of ground water use leading to soluble salt rise in the soil. Results showed that the ground water treated soils were found to have less Electrical Conductivity of 1.27 ds/m than that of the surface water treated soils 1.37 ds/m. The ground water irrigated soils were not significantly different from the surface water irrigated soils in Electrical Conductivity level. There was no significant variation between surface and ground water irrigated plants in plant growth parameters (P < 0.05). However, the yield was found to be affected by the salinity level as measured by electrical conductivity but no correlation was observed in the root biomass. Water salinity also had no significant effect on plant fruit yield, shoot and root biomass. In conclusion, the ground water was found to be slightly saline from the ten electrical conductivity measurements taken and soil analysis results before experiment have shown a moderately low salinity level from the laboratory analysis. This could have resulted from irrigation water mismanagement. Therefore, there is a need to regulate irrigation water use in the study area.

Item Type: Thesis (Masters)
Subjects: G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences
Q Science > QE Geology
S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General)
S Agriculture > SB Plant culture
Divisions: Africana
Depositing User: Selom Ghislain
Date Deposited: 25 Sep 2018 12:42
Last Modified: 25 Sep 2018 12:42
URI: http://thesisbank.jhia.ac.ke/id/eprint/5655

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item