Response of Maize Genotypes to Drip Irrigation Levels on Root Architecture Yield and Water Productivity in Maize Blackgram Sequence Cropping

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during summer and kharif 2018 and 2019 to newlinestudy the performance of maize genotypes to drip irrigation levels in blackgram sequence newlinecropping at MARS, UAS, Dharwad, Karnataka. The experiment was laid out in strip plot newlinedesign with three replications comprising of sixteen treatment combinations. The newlinetreatments included four irrigation levels as vertical factor viz., Drip irrigation at 0.6, 0.8 newlineand 1.0 ETc and Furrow irrigation at 0.8 IW/CPE ratio with four maize genotypes (NK- newline6240, Pinnacle, CP-818 and RCRMH-2) as horizontal factor. newlineThe results revealed that, furrow irrigation at 0.8 IW/CPE ratio (75.8 q ha-1) and newlinedrip irrigation at 1.0 ETc (71.4 q ha-1) recorded significantly higher and on par maize newlinegrain yield. Similarly, NK-6240 recorded significantly higher grain yield (66.4 q ha-1). newlineThe increased yield was due to higher growth, root architecture and yield attributes. Drip newlineirrigation at 1.0 ETc with NK-6240 recorded significantly higher maize equivalent yield newline(103.7 q ha-1) and system net returns (and#8377;1,13,078 ha-1) than other interactions. However, it newlinewas on par with furrow irrigation at 0.8 IW/CPE ratio with NK-6240 and CP-818. The newlineresidual effect of drip irrigation at 0.6 ETc with Pinnacle and RCRMH-2 recorded newlinesignificantly higher seed yield and net returns of balckgram. newlineThe extent of water saving drip irrigatin at at 1.0 ETc was 27.8 to 29.5 per cent newlinethan furrow irrigation 0.8 IW/CPE ratio (286.9 to 673.1 mm is the total water used). newlineSignificantly higher water productivity was registered with drip irrigation at 1.0 ETc with newlineNK-6240 (1.82 kg m-3) than other interactions. However, it was on par with drip newlineirrigation at 0.8 ETc with NK-6240 (1.71 kg m-3). The results indicated that, drip newlineirrigation at 1.0 ETc with NK-6240 with succeeding blackgram may be followed in view newlineof higher root growth parameters, yield and net returns than other treatment newlinecombinations.