Eficiencia de Uso del Agua en Riego por Goteo Superficial y Subsuperficial en Zea mays L.

In food production, water is a limiting factor; therefore, it is necessary to achieve maximum efficiency in the use of this resource in agricultural, systems. The efficiency of the water use of surface and subsurface drip irrigation in the Zea mays L. crop was evaluated. 1,600 m2 of hard hybrid corn were cultivated, with four treatments: superficial drip irrigation (T1, control) and subsurface at 10 (T2), 20 (T3) and 30 (T4) cm deep and four repetitions. In a randomized block design, each experimental unit was 100 m2 (10 m x 10 m). The yield, water use efficiency (WUE), frequency, time and irrigation sheet, diameter of the wetted bulb were measured. There were statistical differences for all the variables evaluated (p<0.01), except for the sheet of water per irrigation due to the effect of the treatments. Yield (10,263 kg/ha), WUE (7.92 kg/m3), diameter wet bulb (0.145 m) were higher in T3 and T4; the frequency of irrigation (3.6 days) and the total sheet of water was lower in T3 and T4 (129 mm); the total irrigation time was shorter in T4 (34.08 h). Subsurface drip irrigation at 20 and 30 cm depth showed the highest efficiency.