Furrow Irrigation for Corn Cultivation in Hydromorphic Soils

Abstract

The use of crop rotation in hydromorphic soils has been intensified in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Due to the difficult management of these soils, the use of irrigation is fundamental to increase the reliability of these production ecosystems. The present study aimed to evaluate the growth and yield components of corn under different managements of furrow irrigation. The study was conducted in Alegrete/RS in the experimental area of the Farroupilha Federal Institute during the 2017/2018 season. Two factors were evaluated: five managements of furrow irrigation, with a control (not irrigated) and 0, 25, 50 and 100% of the time required to replace the irrigation depth up to field capacity, and the influence of plant position relative to the total length of the furrow, at 0, 25 and 50 meters from its beginning. During the growth stage of corn, its LAI showed better performance for the three collections, at 34, 54 and 76 DAS, and plant height and shoot dry matter showed differences at 76 DAS in treatments that received irrigation. Yield components such as number of grains per ear, harvest index and grain yield were influenced by the use of irrigation, whereas water use efficiency did not differ between the use of irrigation and the control treatment. Lastly, best performances of application efficiency were found in treatments with 0% and 25% of the time required to replace the irrigation depth.