Optimum dimensions of the sidewalk cistern in the semi-arid: agriculture and livestock

Due to the importance of rainwater utilization in the Brazilian Semiarid, a methodology was proposed to perform the optimized design of rainwater harvesting systems (RWHS) to meet irrigation in rural areas in the semi-arid, based on minimizing construction costs and meeting a minimum Service Efficiency (SE). To illustrate it, a study case was carried out for onion (Allium cepa L.) in the semi-arid Brazilian region of Feira de Santana (Bahia), considering a supplementary irrigation system with controlled water deficit, a minimum SE of 90% and a planting area of 2,500 m2. The results indicated that the optimal combination is composed of an area of 130 m2 and a cistern of 36.1 m3. In addition, the use of RWHS was recommended to supply not only agriculture, but also animal watering, in order to improve the use of the rainwater stored in the reservoirs. Ultimately, there was a strong positive linear relationship between the optimal RWHS construction cost and the irrigation demand arising from ten different crop areas.