Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2018) 7(6): 2694-2701 International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 7 Number 06 (2018) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com Original Research Article https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2018.706.318 Effect of Deficit Irrigation in Rabi Maize for Crop Growth, Yield, Biomass and Water Use Efficiency in North Bihar Condition Vicky Kumar*, Ravish Chandra and S. K. Jain Department of Soil and Water Engineering, C.A.E., Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Bihar, India *Corresponding author ABSTRACT A field experiment was conducted in Rabi season of 2016-17 at experimental field of AICRP on Irrigation Water Management, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa (Bihar), India. This experiment was undertaken to study the response of different levels of irrigation on crop growth, yield, biomass and water use efficiency of Rabi maize under different levels of furrow irrigation under different treatments. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with four treatment, five replication and five irrigations were applied in the main plot. The growing season was divided into three phases: vegetative, flowering and grain filling. The irrigation K e yw or ds treatments consisted of all possible combinations of full irrigation or limited irrigation in such that T1 (full/control irrigation), T2 (75% of CI), T3 (50% of CI) and T4 (Rainfed /No Irrigation). The Zea mays L., Deficit biometric parameters like plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves and canopy spread were irrigation, furrow irrigation, crop growth, significantly superior in treatment T1 (control/full irrigation) compared to other deficit irrigation and biomass and water use rainfed treatments. The biometric parameters like plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves and efficiency canopy spread for treatment T1 (control/full irrigation) was 179.80 cm, 29.90 mm, 12 and 87.70 cm respectively. Rabi maize yield was highest for treatment T1 with a value of 11.12 t/ha, followed by Article Info treatment T2 (75% of CI) with a value of 10.98 t/ha and lowest for treatment T4 (Rainfed) with a Accepted: value of 3.35 t/ha. Biomass was highest for treatment T1 (CI) with a value of 24.92 t/ha, followed by 20 May 2018 treatment T2 (75% of CI) with a value of 24.65 t/ha and lowest treatment T4 (Rainfed) with the value Available Online: of 7.931 t/ha. The crop yield and biomass were significantly higher for treatment T1 (control/full 10 June 2018 irrigation) compared to other treatments. The water use efficiency of Rabi maize yield decreased with increase in irrigation level for all treatments of furrow irrigation. Water use efficiency was highest for treatment T3 with a value of 310 kg/ha-cm followed by treatment T2 with a value of 303 kg/ha-cm. The water use efficiency was significantly higher treatment T3 (50% of CI) compared to other treatments. The adapted values of canopy growth coefficient and canopy decline coefficient were 15.4% day-1 and 9.5% day-1 respectively for Rabi maize. The days of emergence, sowing to flowering, senescence and maturity were 6, 60, 142 and 161 days respectively. The adopted values of water productivity (WP) were obtained as 30.7 g m-2. The harvest index was obtained as 48%. Introduction requirements and in most countries, supplemental irrigation is necessary for Drought is one of the most common successful crop production. However, in many environmental stresses that may limit countries as a consequence of global climate agricultural production worldwide. Many changes and environmental pollution, water crops, including maize, have high water use for agriculture is reduced. Therefore, high 2694 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2018) 7(6): 2694-2701 emphasis is placed in the area of irrigation environment is crucial to be able to implement engineering, crop physiology and crop deficient irrigation strategies for reducing management for dry conditions with the aim agricultural water stress on Rabi maize yield to make plants more efficient in water use. in North Bihar condition. Deficit irrigation is an optimization strategy in which irrigation is applied during drought- Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important cereal sensitive growth stages of a crop. Outside crop in the world after wheat and rice, these periods, irrigation is limited or even occupying an area of 146 million hectares unnecessary if rainfall provides a minimum with a production of 685 million tons and supply of water. Water restriction is limited to average productivity of 4.7 t ha-1 (FAOSTAT, drought-tolerant phenological stages, often in 2015). Maize ranks third among cereal crops vegetative stages and the late ripening period. in India after rice and wheat, with an area of Total irrigation application is therefore not 9.3 million hectares, with a production of proportional to irrigation requirements 23.67 million tons (Directorate of Economics throughout the crop cycle (Geerts and Raes, Statistics, 2014-15). The current production of 2009). To cope with scarce supplies, deficit maize in India is 2.5 t ha-1 which are far below irrigation, defined as the application of water the global average of 5.0 t ha-1. In India, maize below full crop-water requirements is cultivated throughout the year in most of the (evapotranspiration), is an important tool to states of the country for various purposes achieve the goal of reducing irrigation water including grain, fodder, green cobs, sweet use. While deficit irrigation is widely corn, baby corn, popcorn and industrial practiced over millions of hectares for a products. There are three distinct seasons for number of reason, from inadequate network the cultivation of maize in India: Kharif, Rabi design to excessive irrigation expansion in peninsular India and Bihar, and Spring in relative to catchment supplies, it has not northern India. Bihar is one of the major received sufficient attention in research. Its maize growing states contributing nearly 8.9% use in reducing water consumption for of the total maize production of the country biomass production, and for irrigation of with nearly 0.28 million hectares being annual and perennial crops is reviewed here cultivated under maize per year. Maize is (Fereres and Soriano, 2006). While this predominately a Kharif Season crop, but in inevitably results in plant drought stress and past few years, Rabi maize has gained a consequently in production loss, DI significant place in total maize production in maximizes water productivity, which is the India. Rabi maize is grown on an area of 1.2 main limiting factor. In other words, DI aims million ha with the grain production of 5.08 at stabilizing yields and at obtaining maximum million tons, with an average productivity of WP rather than maximum yields (Zhang et al., 4.0 t/ha. The Rabi maize in Bihar state is 2004). In the literature, the terms occupying 0.412 million hectares area out of a ‘supplemental irrigation’ and ‘deficit total area of 0.645 million hectares during irrigation’ are both used. The first term 2010-11. This indicates the acceptance of Rabi generally refers to a rain-fed crop receiving maize technology by farmers of this state by additional irrigation during the whole season clear-cut comparative advantage over Kharif or during sensitive growth stages, whereas DI maize due to the low incidence of disease and generally refers to fully irrigated crops from insects-pests as well as the slow growth of which water is withheld during certain tolerant weeds. These factors singly and in growth stages. Knowing the response of crops combination favored the adoption of Rabi to limited water supplies under specific maize cultivation in Bihar. The rainfall during 2695 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2018) 7(6): 2694-2701 Rabi is rather inadequate for successful of the experiment was prepared according to cultivation of high-yielding maize hybrids. In experiment plan. The seeds of Rabi maize fact, timely availability of assured irrigation is (variety - DKC 9120) were sown with a one of the major factors determining the spacing of 60 cm × 100 cm on Nov. 4, 2016, success of the crop. Where soil is light, it is on the raised beds of sterilized soil. The desirable to schedule the irrigation 70% soil experiment was laid out in a randomized block moisture availability through the period of design with four treatment, five replication, crop growth and development. In heavy soils, with a plot size of 7 m × 6 m and five a moisture level of 30% during the vegetative irrigations were applied in the main plot in stage and 70% during thereby the reproductive Rabi season of 2016-17. The treatment details and grain-filling period is desirable for of experiments are presented below: obtainable optimum yield four to five irrigations are needed during the Rabi crop Details of biometric observation season. The rainfall during Rabi is rather inadequate for successful cultivation of high- Five plants were randomly selected from each yielding maize hybrids. In fact, timely replication, and selected plants were tagged availability of assured irrigation is one of the for identification. For taking such as plant major factors determining the success of the height, stem diameter, number of leaves per crop. Keeping the importance of deficit plant, canopy spread and crop yield were irrigation and water stress, the present study recorded. The observations were recorded at was undertaken to evaluate the effect of deficit 30 days interval after 30 days of sowing. irrigation on crop growth, yield and water use efficiency of Rabi Maize in eastern IGP. Plant height Materials and Methods Three plants are randomly selected and tagged plants.