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Progress and Limitations in Ethiopian Irrigated Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Production: A Review

Received: 15 April 2025     Accepted: 29 April 2025     Published: 29 May 2025
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Abstract

Wheat is one of the most significant staple crops in the world, serving as a primary source of nutrition for billions of people. it is a vital crop in Ethiopia, ranking second in Africa's production and fourth in area and production of total cereal crops. However, traditional rain-fed farming methods have led to inconsistent yields due to variable rainfall patterns. To really boost wheat production, the governments in Ethiopia plus folks who care about farming are really giving it a whirl aiming for irrigation farming. This means we're really betting on flooding fields that have water access, particularly in spots where that’s real and good water. While Ethiopia has momentum in irrigated wheat production, the reality is that there are still hurdles and challenges in that sector that can't be overlooked though. This review aims to synthesize the current state of irrigated wheat production in Ethiopia, highlighting the progress made and the constraints hindering its full potential. The review will examine the factors influencing irrigated wheat production, including water availability, soil quality, and management practices, as well as the impact of climate change and pests on yields. By identifying the key constraints and opportunities, this study aims to inform policymakers, researchers, and farmers on strategies to improve irrigated wheat production and ensure food security in Ethiopia.

Published in Research & Development (Volume 6, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.rd.20250602.12
Page(s) 35-38
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Wheat, Irrigation, Opportunities

References
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[2] A. R. Bentley, J. Donovan, K. Sonder, F. Baudron, J. M. Lewis, et al., Near-to long-term measures to stabilize global wheat supplies and food security, Nature Food 3 (7) (2022) 483–486.
[3] Anteneh, A. and Asrat, D., 2020. Wheat production and marketing in Ethiopia: Review study. Cogent Food & Agriculture, 6(1), p. 1778893.
[4] Effa, K., Fana, D. M., Nigussie, M., Geleti, D., Abebe, N., Dechassa, N., Anchala, C., Gemechu, G., Bogale, T., Girma, D. and Berisso, F. E., 2025. The irrigated wheat initiative of Ethiopia: a new paradigm emulating Asia’s green revolution in Africa. Environment, Development and sustainability, 27(1), pp. 2161-2186.
[5] Ena, More than 400,000 Hectares of Land Covered with Wheat Seeds through Irrigation, 2022. December 7/2022.
[6] Ferede, S., Agegnehu, G., Kehaliew, A., Alemu, T. and Yirga, C., Research Report No. 127.
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[8] Haregewoin, T., Belay, B., Bezabeh, E., Kelemu, K., Hailu, D. and Daniel, F., 2018. Impact of improved wheat variety on productivity in Oromia regional state, Ethiopia Greener Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 8(4), pp. 074-081.
[9] Knox, J. W., Kay, M. G. and Weatherhead, E. K., 2012. Water regulation, crop production, and agricultural water management—Understanding farmer perspectives on irrigation efficiency Agricultural water management, 108, pp. 3-8.
[10] Mekuriaw, T. and Ahmed, M., 2022 Promotion of Durum Wheat (Triticum turgidum var. durum) Technologies Through Cluster-Based Large Scale Demonstration in Potential Growing Areas of Ethiopia European Journal of Biophysics, 10(1), pp. 1-6.
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[12] Robi, F., Kuma, Y., Alemayehu, S. and Mengistu, H., 2025. Review on Opportunities and Challenges of Low Land Irrigated Wheat Production in Ethiopia: In the Case of Afar Region. Science, 6(1), pp. 1-8.
[13] Tadesse, M. and Asefa, A., 2025 Comparative Analysis of Wheat Yield and Water Productivity Under Irrigation and Rain-fed Conditions Across Various Regions of Ethiopia: A Review. Advances in Bioscience and Bioengineering, 13(1), pp. 6-16.
[14] Tadesse, W., Zegeye, H., Debele, T., Kassa, D., Shiferaw, W., Solomon, T., Negash, T., Geleta, N., Bishaw, Z. and Assefa, S., 2022. Wheat production and breeding in Ethiopia: retrospect and prospects. Crop Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, 4(3).
[15] Timsina, J. and Connor, D. J., 2001. Productivity and management of rice–wheat cropping systems: issues and challenges. Field crops research, 69(2), pp. 93-132.
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Mekonen, G. S. (2025). Progress and Limitations in Ethiopian Irrigated Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Production: A Review. Research & Development, 6(2), 35-38. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.rd.20250602.12

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    ACS Style

    Mekonen, G. S. Progress and Limitations in Ethiopian Irrigated Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Production: A Review. Res. Dev. 2025, 6(2), 35-38. doi: 10.11648/j.rd.20250602.12

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    AMA Style

    Mekonen GS. Progress and Limitations in Ethiopian Irrigated Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Production: A Review. Res Dev. 2025;6(2):35-38. doi: 10.11648/j.rd.20250602.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.rd.20250602.12,
      author = {Getachew Shiferaw Mekonen},
      title = {Progress and Limitations in Ethiopian Irrigated Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Production: A Review
    },
      journal = {Research & Development},
      volume = {6},
      number = {2},
      pages = {35-38},
      doi = {10.11648/j.rd.20250602.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.rd.20250602.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.rd.20250602.12},
      abstract = {Wheat is one of the most significant staple crops in the world, serving as a primary source of nutrition for billions of people. it is a vital crop in Ethiopia, ranking second in Africa's production and fourth in area and production of total cereal crops. However, traditional rain-fed farming methods have led to inconsistent yields due to variable rainfall patterns. To really boost wheat production, the governments in Ethiopia plus folks who care about farming are really giving it a whirl aiming for irrigation farming. This means we're really betting on flooding fields that have water access, particularly in spots where that’s real and good water. While Ethiopia has momentum in irrigated wheat production, the reality is that there are still hurdles and challenges in that sector that can't be overlooked though. This review aims to synthesize the current state of irrigated wheat production in Ethiopia, highlighting the progress made and the constraints hindering its full potential. The review will examine the factors influencing irrigated wheat production, including water availability, soil quality, and management practices, as well as the impact of climate change and pests on yields. By identifying the key constraints and opportunities, this study aims to inform policymakers, researchers, and farmers on strategies to improve irrigated wheat production and ensure food security in Ethiopia.
    },
     year = {2025}
    }
    

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    AU  - Getachew Shiferaw Mekonen
    Y1  - 2025/05/29
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    AB  - Wheat is one of the most significant staple crops in the world, serving as a primary source of nutrition for billions of people. it is a vital crop in Ethiopia, ranking second in Africa's production and fourth in area and production of total cereal crops. However, traditional rain-fed farming methods have led to inconsistent yields due to variable rainfall patterns. To really boost wheat production, the governments in Ethiopia plus folks who care about farming are really giving it a whirl aiming for irrigation farming. This means we're really betting on flooding fields that have water access, particularly in spots where that’s real and good water. While Ethiopia has momentum in irrigated wheat production, the reality is that there are still hurdles and challenges in that sector that can't be overlooked though. This review aims to synthesize the current state of irrigated wheat production in Ethiopia, highlighting the progress made and the constraints hindering its full potential. The review will examine the factors influencing irrigated wheat production, including water availability, soil quality, and management practices, as well as the impact of climate change and pests on yields. By identifying the key constraints and opportunities, this study aims to inform policymakers, researchers, and farmers on strategies to improve irrigated wheat production and ensure food security in Ethiopia.
    
    VL  - 6
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