RESPONSE OF POTATO YIELD AND WATER EFFICIENCY TO DEFICIT DRIP AND FURROW IRRIGATION

Potatoes is one of the main vegetable irrigated-crops in Yemen which uses large quantity of irrigation water, mainly because surface irrigation methods, characterized with low efficiency, are mostly used. This study aims to improve water use efficiency (WUE) for growing potatoes through applying deficit irrigation technique coupled with drip and furrow irrigation methods. The study was undertaken at the College of Agriculture farm having clayey loam soil. Drip irrigation system was compared with furrow irrigation system at three levels of deficit irrigation, namely :100%, 80% and 60 % of ET0. For the drip irrigation method, the potatoes yield was found 24.9 t/ha and 17.5 t/ha for irrigation levels of 100 and 60 % of ET0, respectively. While for furrow irrigation method, the yield was found 21.1 t/ha and 15.3 t/ha for irrigation levels of 100 and 60 % of ET0, respectively. The results showed linear increase in WUE with the decrease in irrigation levels. For drip irrigation method, the WUE increased from 6.2 kg/ m3 at full irrigation level to 7.3 kg/m3 for irrigation level 60 % of ET0. The WUE for furrow irrigation methods was lower and was 3.4 kg/ m3 and 4.1 kg/ m3 for irrigation levels of 100 and 60 % of ET0, respectively.