Kahlon, M.S.Dheenadhayalan, E.2023-05-062023-05-062022Dheenadhayalan, E. (2022). Water productivity of potato and spring maize in relation to subsurface drip irrigation, mlching and fertigation (Unpublished M.Sc. thesis). Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810197060The research entitled “Water productivity of potato and spring maize in relation to subsurface drip irrigation, mulching and fertigation” was conducted at the experimental farm of Department of Soil Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. To study the effect of surface and subsurface drip irrigation under different levels of irrigation regime, mulch and nitrogen (N) fertigation on yield, total N uptake and water productivity of potato and spring maize, seventeen treatments were laid out in randomized block design (RBD) comprising three replications. Significant differences were observed for soil moisture retention, saturated hydraulic conductivity and water holding capacity of the soil. Soil moisture content was higher at 0-15cm and 15-30cm depth under surface drip irrigation and at 30-45cm and 4560cm depth under subsurface drip irrigation during potato and spring maize growing seasons. In potato, among different treatments, the results revealed that maximum plant height, SPAD value, LAI, crop biomass, tuber weight, tuber yield, haulm yield and total nitrogen uptake were found to be significantly higher in surface drip irrigation + 100% ETc + 100% recommended N + mulch (T3) by 28.9%, 12.3%, 48.78%, 17.5%, 17.6%, 30.7%, 13.1% and 63.04% as compared to CP (T17). However, water productivity of potato was found to be significantly higher by 93.2% in surface drip irrigation + 70% ETc + 100% recommended N + mulch (T7) than CP. In spring maize crop, maximum plant height, SPAD value, LAI, crop biomass, hundred grain weight, grain yield, stover yield and total nitrogen uptake were significantly higher in surface drip irrigation + 100% ETc + 70% recommended N + mulch (T11) by 20.8%, 24.8%, 48.4%, 16.0%, 35.6%, 55.4%, 14.4% and 96.6% in comparison with CP. The water productivity of spring maize is observed to be higher by 79.4% in subsurface drip irrigation + 70% ETc + 100% recommended N + mulch (T5) than CP. The use of subsurface drip irrigation, mulching and fertigation combinedly helps in reducing the water requirement and bringing down the water losses by evapotranspiration and improving the soil fertility and also increases the yield.EnglishThesis