Water use and water supply
Most potato varieties are sensitive to soil water deficits and need frequent, shallow irrigation. A 120 to 150 day potato crop consumes from 500 to 700 mm of water, and depletion of more than 50 percent of the total available soil water during the growing period results in reduced yields .
For every cubic metre of water applied in cultivation various crops produce a different quantety of dietary energy:
- potato: 5 600 calories
- maize: 3 860 calories
- wheat: 2 300 calories
- rice: 2 000 calories.
Water use
For the same cubic metre, the potato yields 150 g of protein,
double that of wheat and maize, and 540 mg of calcium, double that of wheat and four times that
of rice.
The most common irrigation methods for potato use furrow
or sprinkler systems. Furrow irrigation has relatively low water
use efficiency and is suitable when water supply is ample. In
areas with water scarcity, sprinkler or drip irrigation is preferred,
especially on soils with low water retention capacity.
SOIL AND WATER----WATER USE AND IRRIGATION----IRRIGATION METHODS----SALINITY AND IRRIGATION
