Effect of Irrigation on Yield, Water-Use Efficiency and Water Requirement of Winter Maize (Zeamays)-Bsised Intercropping Systems

摘要

A field experiment was conducted during 2002-03 and 2003-04 to study the effect of irrigation levels based on IW : CPE ratio (0.6, 0.8, 1.0 and 1.2) on winter maize-based intercropping systems (sole maize, maize +' potato, maize + rajmash and maize +toria). There was significant increase in maize equivalent yield upto five irrigations each of 6 cm scheduled through 1W:CPE ratio of 1.2 (87.16 and 92.84 q/ha) followed by 1.0 (84.68 and 89.65 q/ha), 0.8 (78.88 and 83.67 q/ha) and 0.6 ratio (69.45 and 75.00 q/ha) in first and second year respectively. Maximum maize-equivalent yield was recorded under maize + potato (123.48 and 140.07 q/ha) followed by maize + rajmash (83.83 and 82.64 q/ha) and maize + toria (57.73 and 6.1.86 q/ha). The water-use efficiency was maximum (average of two years) with lower levels of irrigation and among the intercrops maximum water-use efficiency on the basis of maize yield was recorded with potato (219.39 kg/ha-em, 561.89 kg/ha-cm) and minimum with toria (119.90 kg/ha-cm,256.0 kg/ha-cm), respectively. The water requirement was maximum under 1.2 IW:CPE ratio due to maximum number of irrigation, to both the years the water requirement was lowest in maize + rajmash and rest of intercropping systems were statistically at par among themselves.