Effect of Land Configuration Technique and Moisture Regime on Water Productivity of Maize (Zea mays L.) in Summer Season

Abstract

To investigate the effect of maize on water use efficiency, water productivity, protein content, and economics in semiarid regions, it is necessary to evaluate the effects of land configuration and moisture regimes. In the summer of 2018-19, a field experiment was carried out at the Agronomy Research Farm, ANDUA &T, Kumarganj, Ayodhya (U.P.) to investigate the effects of moisture regime and land layout approach on the water productivity of maize in the summer months. Four moisture regimes—0.5, 0.7, 0.9, and 1.1 IW/CPE ratios—were assigned to subplots in the experiment, while three land configurations—ridge planting, paired row planting, and flat bed planting—were maintained in the main plots. The experiment consisted of 12 treatment combinations and was conducted in SPD and replicated four times. The results revealed that crop sown on paired row planting on a raised bed showed higher water use efficiency and water productivity when computed under paired row planting on a raised bed with 0.5 irrigation water/cumulative pan evaporation moisture regimes. Further, it was observed that among the moisture regimes, 0.9 and 1.2 Irrigation Water/Cumulative Pan Evaporation ratios, and assessing the economics, that is, gross return, net return, and benefit cost (B:C) ratios, were observed in the combination of paired row planting on a raised bed with a 0.9 Irrigation Water/Cumulative Pan Evaporation ratio, and a minimum was observed in the combination of flat bed planting with a 0.5 Irrigation Water/Cumulative Pan Evaporation ratio.