Impact of Different Irrigation Levels, Plant Density and Row Spacing on Water Productivity of Corn Using Subsurface Drip Irrigation

آب و خاک

Article 7, Volume 27, Issue 6, January 2014, Pages 1145-1152   

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.22067/jsw.v0i0.33120

Authors

H. Afshar^* ; Hossin Sadrghaen

Abstract

In areas with limited water resources, one of the main goals of irrigation is to maximize the water per unit volume. In corn planting two major options for increasing of water productivity are plant density and growing pattern. In order to achieve the above goal in Corn” Karaj 700”, an study was conducted in strip split plots in frame of complete randomized block design with 3 replications in Khorasan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center for 3 years. Irrigation treatments were subsurface drip irrigation with 3 levels (50, 75 and 100 percent of full water requirement) in the vertical plots and plant density with 3 levels (65,75 and 85 thousands plants per hectare) in horizontal plots. In addition sub plots were including one and two rows planting pattern on 75 cm furrows. The results showed that irrigation water affected only on corn yield. The maximum yield in all three years was achieved by 100 percent of full water requirement treatment and the minimum yield was observed in 50 percent of full water requirement. The effect of subsurface drip irrigation on water consumption was not significant in the first year but it was significant in the last two years. The most water consumption was achieved by 100 percent of full water requirement treatment. Besides 3 levels of plant density and 2 planting types were not affected on water consumption. Plant height was affected by water quantity in 3 years furthermore this trait was affected by planting type in the second and third year. The maximum and the minimum of plant height were in 100 percent of full water requirement and 50 percent of of full water requirement respectively. The weight of 300 grains in different treatments was affected by planting type in the second year and in the third year this trait was affected by irrigation levels.

Keywords

Subsurface drip irrigation (tape); Sowing pattern; Planting density; Water use efficiency