Hydrological implications of supplemental irrigation in cocoa production using SWAT model: insights from the Upper Offin Sub-Basin, Ghana
The cocoa production in Ghana, largely reliant on rainfall and undertaken by smallholder farmers, is increasingly endangered by climate change-induced water scarcity. Although supplemental irrigation has been posited as an adaptive measure, its hydrological impacts remain understudied. This current...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | Inglés |
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MDPI
2025
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/176233 |
| _version_ | 1855522463937462272 |
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| author | Assefa, T. T. Gbodji, Kekeli Kofi Atampugre, Gerald Loh, Y. S. A. Bayissa, Y. Tilahun, Seifu A. |
| author_browse | Assefa, T. T. Atampugre, Gerald Bayissa, Y. Gbodji, Kekeli Kofi Loh, Y. S. A. Tilahun, Seifu A. |
| author_facet | Assefa, T. T. Gbodji, Kekeli Kofi Atampugre, Gerald Loh, Y. S. A. Bayissa, Y. Tilahun, Seifu A. |
| author_sort | Assefa, T. T. |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | The cocoa production in Ghana, largely reliant on rainfall and undertaken by smallholder farmers, is increasingly endangered by climate change-induced water scarcity. Although supplemental irrigation has been posited as an adaptive measure, its hydrological impacts remain understudied. This current study seeks to bridge this knowledge gap by employing the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to evaluate the hydrological and water resource implications of supplemental irrigation within the Upper Offin sub-basin of Ghana. High-resolution spatial data and field survey inputs were used to model dry period baseline and irrigation scenarios for cocoa farms with gentle slopes (2%). The results reveal that supplemental irrigation from the shallow aquifer can sustainably support irrigation for up to 5% of the cocoa area (4760 ha) without adversely affecting groundwater flow. Extending irrigation to 30% of the cocoa area (28,540 ha) is feasible with minimal reduction in catchment water yield. This study’s novelty lies in integrating high-resolution data with localized management practices to provide actionable insights for balancing cocoa productivity and water sustainability. The findings offer practical recommendations for policymakers, emphasizing that through solar-powered irrigation the shallow groundwater is a pathway to enhance climate resilience of cocoa productivity. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace176233 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | MDPI |
| publisherStr | MDPI |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1762332025-12-08T10:29:22Z Hydrological implications of supplemental irrigation in cocoa production using SWAT model: insights from the Upper Offin Sub-Basin, Ghana Assefa, T. T. Gbodji, Kekeli Kofi Atampugre, Gerald Loh, Y. S. A. Bayissa, Y. Tilahun, Seifu A. supplemental irrigation cocoa hydrological modelling irrigated farming water management The cocoa production in Ghana, largely reliant on rainfall and undertaken by smallholder farmers, is increasingly endangered by climate change-induced water scarcity. Although supplemental irrigation has been posited as an adaptive measure, its hydrological impacts remain understudied. This current study seeks to bridge this knowledge gap by employing the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to evaluate the hydrological and water resource implications of supplemental irrigation within the Upper Offin sub-basin of Ghana. High-resolution spatial data and field survey inputs were used to model dry period baseline and irrigation scenarios for cocoa farms with gentle slopes (2%). The results reveal that supplemental irrigation from the shallow aquifer can sustainably support irrigation for up to 5% of the cocoa area (4760 ha) without adversely affecting groundwater flow. Extending irrigation to 30% of the cocoa area (28,540 ha) is feasible with minimal reduction in catchment water yield. This study’s novelty lies in integrating high-resolution data with localized management practices to provide actionable insights for balancing cocoa productivity and water sustainability. The findings offer practical recommendations for policymakers, emphasizing that through solar-powered irrigation the shallow groundwater is a pathway to enhance climate resilience of cocoa productivity. 2025-07 2025-08-28T07:28:47Z 2025-08-28T07:28:47Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/176233 en Open Access MDPI Assefa, T. T.; Gbodji, K. K.; Atampugre, G.; Loh, Y. S. A.; Bayissa, Y.; Tilahun, S. A. 2025. Hydrological implications of supplemental irrigation in cocoa production using SWAT model: insights from the Upper Offin Sub-Basin, Ghana. Water, 17(13):1841. (Special issue: Sustainable Water Management in Agricultural Irrigation). doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/w17131841 |
| spellingShingle | supplemental irrigation cocoa hydrological modelling irrigated farming water management Assefa, T. T. Gbodji, Kekeli Kofi Atampugre, Gerald Loh, Y. S. A. Bayissa, Y. Tilahun, Seifu A. Hydrological implications of supplemental irrigation in cocoa production using SWAT model: insights from the Upper Offin Sub-Basin, Ghana |
| title | Hydrological implications of supplemental irrigation in cocoa production using SWAT model: insights from the Upper Offin Sub-Basin, Ghana |
| title_full | Hydrological implications of supplemental irrigation in cocoa production using SWAT model: insights from the Upper Offin Sub-Basin, Ghana |
| title_fullStr | Hydrological implications of supplemental irrigation in cocoa production using SWAT model: insights from the Upper Offin Sub-Basin, Ghana |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hydrological implications of supplemental irrigation in cocoa production using SWAT model: insights from the Upper Offin Sub-Basin, Ghana |
| title_short | Hydrological implications of supplemental irrigation in cocoa production using SWAT model: insights from the Upper Offin Sub-Basin, Ghana |
| title_sort | hydrological implications of supplemental irrigation in cocoa production using swat model insights from the upper offin sub basin ghana |
| topic | supplemental irrigation cocoa hydrological modelling irrigated farming water management |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/176233 |
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