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Effects of deficit irrigation scheduling on yields and soil water balance of irrigated maize

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Abstract

This paper presents the findings of the effect of some selected deficit irrigation scheduling practices on irrigated maize crop in a sub-catchment in south western part of Tanzania. Field experiments, in which maize (TMV1-ST) variety was planted under total irrigation, were conducted during the dry seasons of 2004 and 2005. Surface irrigation method was used and the crop was planted in basins. The seasonal water applied ranged from 400 to 750 mm. Soil moisture content from both cropped and bare soils, leaf area index, dry matter, and grain yields were measured. The dry matter yield ranged between 6,966 and 12,672 kg/ha, and grain yields obtained were between 1,625 and 4,349 kg/ha. The results showed that deficit irrigation at any crop growth stage of the maize crop led to decrease in dry matter and grain yields, seasonal evapotranspiration and deep percolation. Deficit irrigation in any one growth stage of the maize crop only seems to affect grain production and no significant effect on biomass production, but deficit irrigation that spanned across two or more growth stages affect both biomass and grain production drastically. Crop water use efficiency (WUE) and Irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) were strongly influenced by the number of growth stages in which deficit irrigations were applied and how critical the growth stages were to moisture stress rather than the amount of irrigation water applied. While maximum WUE was obtained under full irrigation, maximum IWUE was obtained in the deficit irrigation treatment at vegetative growth stage, which suggest that IWUE may be improved upon by practicing deficit irrigation at the vegetative growth stage of the maize crop.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural Engineering, Ahmadu Bello University, P.M.B. 1044, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria

    Henry E. Igbadun

  2. Department of Agricultural Engineering and Land Planning, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P.O. Box 3003, Morogoro, Tanzania

    Baanda A. Salim, Andrew K. P. R. Tarimo & Henry F. Mahoo

Authors
  1. Henry E. Igbadun
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  2. Baanda A. Salim
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  3. Andrew K. P. R. Tarimo
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  4. Henry F. Mahoo
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Correspondence to Henry E. Igbadun.

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Communicated by T. Trooien.

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Igbadun, H.E., Salim, B.A., Tarimo, A.K.P.R. et al. Effects of deficit irrigation scheduling on yields and soil water balance of irrigated maize. Irrig Sci 27, 11–23 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-008-0117-0

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