Water productivity and silage quality of spring maize (Zea  mays L.) as influenced by irrigation methods and regimes

Simerjeet Kaur

Water productivity and silage quality of spring maize (Zea mays L.) as influenced by irrigation methods and regimes

Date

2024

Authors

Simerjeet Kaur

Publisher

Punjab Agricultural University

Abstract

A field experiment entitled “Water productivity and silage quality of spring maize (Zea maysL.) as influenced by irrigation methods and regimes” was conducted at Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, during spring season of 2022 and 2023. The experiment was conducted in split plot design keeping combinations of three cultivars (JH-17011, PFM-12 and P-1844) and two irrigation methods (drip irrigation) and (flood irrigation) in main plot and three irrigation regimes (60% ETc/ 0.8 IW: ETc, 80% ETc/ 1.0 IW: ETc, 100% ETc/ 1.2 IW: ETc) in sub plot with three replications. Results revealed that growth, yield attributes, green fodder yield and grain yield were found to be significantly higher from crop raised with drip irrigation as compared to flood irrigation. Among the cultivars P-1844 recorded significantly higher grain yield than JH-17011 and PFM-12 while green fodder yield was found to be statistically at par between P-1844 and JH-17011. Crop irrigated at 100% ETc/ 1.2 IW: ETc recorded significantly higher growth, yield attributes, green fodder yield and grain yield than 80% ETc/ 1.0 ETc and 60% ETc/ 0.8 IW: ETc. Green fodder and silage quality was found to be statistically at par between P-1844 and PFM-12 but significantly better than JH-17011. Crop irrigated at 60% ETc/ 0.8 IW: ETc recorded significantly better green fodder and silage quality as compared to 80% ETc/ 1.0 IW: ETc and 100% ETc/ 1.2 IW: ETc. Interaction of irrigation methods and regimes revealed that drip irrigated at 100% ETc recorded significantly higher grain and green fodder yield than all the other combinations of drip and flood irrigation treatments with different irrigation regimes. The grain and green fodder yield was found to be statistically at par between drip irrigated at 80% ETc and flood irrigated at 1.0 IW: ETc. Irrigation water application was maximum in crop grown with flood irrigation at 1.2 IW: ETc (660 and 540 mm during 2022 and 2023, respectively). Drip irrigation at 100% ETc saves 33% and 37.4% irrigation water than flood irrigation at IW: ETc of 1.2 during 2022 and 2023, respectively. Bio-physical water productivity was significantly better in drip irrigation than flood irrigation during both the years.

Citation

Simerjeet Kaur (2024). Water productivity and silage quality of spring maize (Zea mays L.) as influenced by irrigation methods and regimes (Unpublished M.Sc. thesis). Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.