Improving grain yield and water use efficiency in maize by wick irrigation

• Published in: Irrigation science 2024-07, Vol.42 (4), p.785-800
• Main Authors: Zarei, Zhaleh, Heidari, Hassan, Honarmand, Saeid Jalali, Bafkar, Ali
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; Aquatic Pollution; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Climate Change; Corn; Crop production; Crop yield; Design of experiments; Drought; Dry weight; Efficiency; Environment; Experimental design; Fertilizer application; Fertilizers; Grain; Irrigation; Irrigation effects; Irrigation efficiency; Irrigation water; Leaves; Life Sciences; Moisture content; Nitrogen; Original Paper; Physiological effects; Soil; Soil moisture; Soil temperature; Soil water; Surface irrigation; Sustainable Development; Urea; Waste Water Technology; Water; Water consumption; Water content; Water depth; Water Industry/Water Technologies; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Water resources; Water use; Water use efficiency; Weight
• ISSN: 0342-7188; 1432-1319
• DOI: 10.1007/s00271-023-00906-2

Limited water resources and successive droughts in Iran have limited crop production. Therefore, modern irrigation methods to increase water use efficiency can become more necessary. A 2-year (2020, 2021) field experiment was carried out to determine the effect of irrigation method and nitrogen fertilizer on maize physiological traits, grain yield, water use efficiency, and soil temperature and moisture. The experimental design was factorial in the randomized complete block with three replicates. The studied irrigation and fertilizer treatments were the four levels of irrigation (wick irrigation, surface irrigation with 50, 70, and 100% of plant water requirement) and the two levels of nitrogen fertilizer (50 and 100% of the recommended urea fertilizer). Totally, wick irrigation with 100% fertilizer increased SPAD, leaf relative water content, leaf porometer, total dry weight, ear dry weight, ear diameter, number of rows per ear, number of grains per ear, and 100-grain weight compared to other treatments. Wick irrigation significantly increased soil moisture and decreased soil temperature compared to surface irrigation with 50, 70, and 100% plant water requirement at a depth of 10 cm. Although there was no significant difference between wick irrigation and 100% surface irrigation regarding grain yield, on average, for both years, wick irrigation reduced water consumption by 57.88% compared to 100% surface irrigation. Furthermore, wick irrigation with 100% fertilizer had the highest water use efficiency. Therefore, wick irrigation with 50% fertilizer application is the best treatment, because water and fertilizer are saved.