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Irrigation Method and Water Quantity Effects on Sweet corn 1
Author(s) -
ABUAwwad A. M.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal of agronomy and crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.095
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1439-037X
pISSN - 0931-2250
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-037x.1994.tb00564.x
Subject(s) - irrigation , environmental science , drip irrigation , surface irrigation , agronomy , soil water , deficit irrigation , evapotranspiration , water use efficiency , low flow irrigation systems , pan evaporation , hydrology (agriculture) , irrigation management , soil science , biology , geology , ecology , geotechnical engineering
Soil evaporation, water use, yield of sweet corn ( Zea mays L.) and water use efficiency as affected by two irrigation methods (trickle and sprinkler) and four values of irrigation water were studied in field plot experiments during 1991 and 1992 in the Jordan Valley. Irrigation regimes were imposed on a clay soil via line source sprinkler irrigation and trickle irrigation in three replicates. Four increasing amounts of water (W1, W2, W3, and W4) were applied twice a week with W3 adjusted to compensate for evaporation measured by class A pan on the site. Soil water content was measured just before each irrigation event at 150 mm increments starting at a depth of 75 mm using a neutron meter. With deficit irrigation and during incomplete canopy cover, the trickle irrigation method resulted in a substantial water saving owing to the small area of wetted ground surface compared with complete wetting of the ground surface with sprinkler irrigation method. Soil evaporation (E) under sprinkler Irrigation was significantly higher than Es under trickle irrigation method, whilst water use (WU) with sprinkler irrigation was slightly higher than WU with trickle irrigation at the same water level. With the lower irrigation water amounts (less than W3), trickle irrigated sweet corn yielded better than sprinkle irrigated sweet corn. However, sweet corn yields became comparable at excess irrigation for both trickle and sprinkler irrigation methods, because excess water compensated for the adverse effect of soil evaporation. Also, water use efficiency (WUE) with trickle irrigation was higher than WUE with sprinkler irrigation, and the maximum WUE occurred at 366 and 410 mm water use for both trickle and sprinkler irrigation, respectively.