Effect of Drip and Furrow Irrigation Systems on Sunflower Yield and Water Use Efficiency in Dry Area of Pakistan

摘要

Surface irrigation is commonly used in Pakistan and will continue to be used as a traditional methodof irrigation with water application efficiency not more than 40%, whereas yields are way below those of othercountries. The use of available water resources therefore warn to use limited irrigation water efficiently to savenot only loss of water but provide adequate root zone moisture for increasing crop production. A fieldexperiment was conducted in the year 2007 on sandy loam soil of dry area of Pakistan to study the effect of dripand furrow irrigation methods on sunflower crop yield and water use efficiency. As sunflower is one of the mostcultivated crops in the World and its cultivation in Pakistan is increasing due to its short duration (90-120 days)with high oleic acid, higher oxidative stability and better dietary property. Comparison of results under drip andfurrow irrigation methods revealed that drip irrigation produced 26 percent more sunflower yield with 56 percentless water compared to furrow irrigation method. Water use efficiency of drip irrigation was about three timeshigher than furrow irrigation method. With one cubic meter volume of water drip and furrow irrigation produced0.55 and 0.19 kg of sunflower yield, respectively. The results revealed that drip irrigation has the potential toincrease the area under cultivation due to water saving and increase in crop production for food security andpoverty alleviation.