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ARS Home » Plains Area » Bushland, Texas » Conservation and Production Research Laboratory » Soil and Water Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #180146

Title: WATER USE OF MAIZE FOR TWO IRRIGATION METHODS AND TWO SCHEDULING METHODS

Author
item NAZIRBAY, IBRAGIMOV - UZBEKISTAN NATL COTTON GR
item Evett, Steven - Steve
item ESANBEKOV, YUSUPBEK - UZBEKISTAN NATL COTTON
item KAMILOV, BAKHTIYOR - UZBEKISTAN SCIENTIFIC RES

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/6/2005
Publication Date: 11/6/2005
Citation: Nazirbay, I., Evett, S.R., Esanbekov, Y., Kamilov, B. 2005. Water use of maize for two irrigation methods and two scheduling methods [abstract]. Agronomy Abstracts, ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah. 2005 CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Furrow (conventional) and drip irrigated corn yields (Zea Mays L.) were compared on an old irrigated sierozem deep silt loam for two consecutive years in Central Asian Uzbekistan. Irrigation application schedules were based on soil moisture content in the rooting zone, which was monitored with a neutron probe. The criteria were the depletion of this zone by corn to a specific fraction of field capacity (FC) during three key development stages (eg. x% FC, y% FC, z% FC) and involved four such treatments. Maize water use was estimated via the soil water balance method. Findings showed that for both furrow and drip irrigated maize, top yield in both years was reached with scheduling to hold soil moisture content at 75-75-70% of FC. At 75-75-70% of FC, furrow irrigation yielded 6% (0.35 Mg/ha dry grain) more compared with the 65-65-60% treatment. However, under drip irrigation the 75-75-70% treatment yielded 9% (0.56 Mg/ha) more than the 65-65-60% schedule. Compared with surface irrigation, drip yielded on average 4.5% (0.28 Mg/ha) more under the 75-75-70% of FC treatment. Maize irrigation water use for furrow irrigation ranged from 547 to 629 mm per year compared with 371 to 428 mm per year for drip irrigation. Irrigation water use efficiency was always superior for drip irrigation compared with furrow irrigation.