Interactive effect of nitrogen and irrigation on evapotranspiration, growth, yield and water productivity of subsurface drip‐irrigated spring maize: Field and simulation studies

Abstract

In northwest India, spring maize water productivity can be increased with subsurface drip irrigation. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted in a split-plot design for 2 years to assess the effect of three nitrogen levels (125 [N 1 ], 100 [N 2 ] and 75 [N 3 ] kg N ha À1 ) in the main plots and seven irrigation regimes (six subsurface and one surface drip) in the subplots on water productivity of spring maize. Subsurface drip irrigation was applied at 100%, 80% and 60% cumulative pan evaporation on alternate days (I 1 , I 3 and I 5 ) and at 2-day intervals (I 2 , I 4 and I 6 ) along with surface drip irrigation at 80% pan evaporation on alternate days (I 7 ). The evapotranspiration (ET), transpiration (T), dry matter accumulation (DMA), leaf area index (LAI), root mass density (RMD), N uptake and grain yield were at par in N 1 and N 2 but significantly higher than in N 3 . T, DMA, LAI, RMD, grain N uptake and grain yield were at par in I 1 , I 2 , I 3 and I 7 but significantly higher than in I 4 , I 5 and I 6 . The real water productivity was at par in N 1 I 1 , N 1 I 3 and N 2 I 3 but significantly higher than other interactive combinations. The CERES-Maize model satisfactorily simulated crop biomass, grain yield, LAI, ET and transpiration.

Effects of Shallow-buried drip irrigation on growth, yield, and water productivity of potato in the Yin-mountain region of China

“…Subsurface drip irrigation reduced ineffective evaporation by storing more water in the lower soil layer compared to surface drip irrigation (Ayars et al, 2015). Thus, the longer water working time in subsurface drip irrigation, making limited irrigation water contribute to more matter accumulation and yield (Amanpreet Kaur et al, 2023). Our laboratory simulation showed different path of irrigation water movement between SSI and SI, less distribution at the topsoil and more extension into the deep soil layer in SSI, while it is opposite in SI (Fig.…”