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Livestock water productivity in mixed crop-livestock farming systems of the Blue Nile basin: Assessing variability and prospects for improvement

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  • Haileslassie, Amare
  • Peden, Don
  • Gebreselassie, Solomon
  • Amede, Tilahun
  • Descheemaeker, Katrien

Abstract

Water scarcity is a major factor limiting food production. Improving Livestock Water Productivity (LWP) is one of the approaches to address those problems. LWP is defined as the ratio of livestock's beneficial outputs and services to water depleted in their production. Increasing LWP can help achieve more production per unit of water depleted. In this study we assess the spatial variability of LWP in three farming systems (rice-based, millet-based and barley-based) of the Gumera watershed in the highlands of the Blue Nile basin, Ethiopia. We collected data on land use, livestock management and climatic variables using focused group discussions, field observation and secondary data. We estimated the water depleted by evapotranspiration (ET) and beneficial animal products and services and then calculated LWP. Our results suggest that LWP is comparable with crop water productivity at watershed scales. Variability of LWP across farming systems of the Gumera watershed was apparent and this can be explained by farmers' livelihood strategies and prevailing biophysical conditions. In view of the results there are opportunities to improve LWP: improved feed sourcing, enhancing livestock productivity and multiple livestock use strategies can help make animal production more water productive. Attempts to improve agricultural water productivity, at system scale, must recognize differences among systems and optimize resources use by system components.

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  • Haileslassie, Amare & Peden, Don & Gebreselassie, Solomon & Amede, Tilahun & Descheemaeker, Katrien, 2009. "Livestock water productivity in mixed crop-livestock farming systems of the Blue Nile basin: Assessing variability and prospects for improvement," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 102(1-3), pages 33-40, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:102:y:2009:i:1-3:p:33-40
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    Cited by:

    1. Homann-Kee Tui, Sabine & Valbuena, Diego & Masikati, Patricia & Descheemaeker, Katrien & Nyamangara, Justice & Claessens, Lieven & Erenstein, Olaf & van Rooyen, Andre & Nkomboni, Daniel, 2015. "Economic trade-offs of biomass use in crop-livestock systems: Exploring more sustainable options in semi-arid Zimbabwe," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 48-60.
    2. Krauß, Michael & Kraatz, Simone & Drastig, Katrin & Prochnow, Annette, 2015. "The influence of dairy management strategies on water productivity of milk production," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 175-186.
    3. Descheemaeker, Katrien & Amede, Tilahun & Haileslassie, Amare, 2010. "Improving water productivity in mixed crop-livestock farming systems of sub-Saharan Africa," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 97(5), pages 579-586, May.
    4. Moges B. Wagena & Andrew Sommerlot & Anteneh Z. Abiy & Amy S. Collick & Simon Langan & Daniel R. Fuka & Zachary M. Easton, 2016. "Climate change in the Blue Nile Basin Ethiopia: implications for water resources and sediment transport," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 139(2), pages 229-243, November.
    5. Erkossa, T. & Haileslassie, A. & MacAlister, C., 2014. "Enhancing farming system water productivity through alternative land use and water management in vertisol areas of Ethiopian Blue Nile Basin (Abay)," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 120-128.
    6. Husen Maru & Amare Haileslassie & Tesfaye Zeleke & Befikadu Esayas, 2021. "Analysis of Smallholders’ Livelihood Vulnerability to Drought across Agroecology and Farm Typology in the Upper Awash Sub-Basin, Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-28, August.
    7. Vladimir Mirlas & Vitaly Kulagin & Aida Ismagulova & Yaakov Anker, 2022. "MODFLOW and HYDRUS Modeling of Groundwater Supply Prospect Assessment for Distant Pastures in the Aksu River Middle Reaches," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-28, December.
    8. Descheemaeker, K. & Bunting, S. W. & Bindraban, P. & Muthuri, C. & Molden, D. & Beveridge, M. & van Brakel, Martin & Herrero, M. & Clement, Floriane & Boelee, Eline & Jarvis, D. I., 2013. "Increasing water productivity in Agriculture," Book Chapters,, International Water Management Institute.
    9. Rimhanen, Karoliina & Kahiluoto, Helena, 2014. "Management of harvested C in smallholder mixed farming in Ethiopia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 13-22.
    10. U. Behera & P. Panigrahi & A. Sarangi, 2012. "Multiple Water Use Protocols in Integrated Farming System for Enhancing Productivity," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 26(9), pages 2605-2623, July.

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