Water and nutrients distribution in sweet corn field under gravity drip irrigation and nitrogen management in eastern indo-gangetic plains

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out during the winter season of 2015-16 to study the effects of four levels of irrigation (gravity drip at 1.0, 0.8 and 0.6 of crop evapotranspiration and surface irrigation) and four levels of nitrogen management (100% inorganic N, 75% inorganic N + 25% inorganic N as vermicompost, 75% inorganic N + 25% inorganic N as FYM and 75% inorganic N + 25% inorganic N as mustard oilcake) on the temporal distribution of water and macronutrients in sweet corn field grown in sandy loam soil. The results of the study showed that amounts of soil water consistently decreased with increase in soil depth; the more so in higher irrigation level than in lower irrigation level and that too under integrated nitrogen management schedule than in chemical nitrogen fertilization only. Higher soil moisture storage was observed in rooting zone depth under drip irrigation scheduling at 1.0 ETc followed by 0.8 ETc as compared with surface irrigation. Higher availability of N, P and K contents in soils at harvest was observed in deficit irrigation regimes than in higher irrigation regimes and that too with integrated N supply than with chemical N fertilization only. Maximum NPK uptake by plant was noticed with surface irrigation and drip irrigation at 1.0 ETc each provided with 75% N as fertilizer and 25% N as vermicompost. The deficit irrigation scheduling with different N management resulted in moderate to low uptake of macronutrients from soil by corn plant.