CONSUMPTIVE USE OF WATER FOR WHEAT IN PESHAWAR VALLEY

Abstract

Consumptive use of water data for wheat crop in Peshawar valley is needed to improve management practices, irrigation scheduling and water resources planning. The data are also needed to evaluate the moisture stress and fertilizer use especially due to scarcity of irrigation water during Rabi season. Therefore, a research study was initiated during 1977-78 at Agricultural University Farm Peshawar which continued for three (3) consecutive years in order to have reliable estimates. The experimental site was located on deep clay loam soil and belonged to Peshawar series. Three moisture stress levels of 50, 75 and 90% soil moisture depletion in the top 0— 30 cm soil depth and two fertilizer levels of 56-28— 34 and 168-84-34 (NPK) kg/ha were employed in 3 x 2 randomized complete block design with 4 replications. Improved and recommended wheat varieties were grown during the period of investigations. The results indicated that the amount of water used by the crop during growing season can be reduced without any significant reduction in yield. The average Consumptive use of water values for the three moisture stress levels were computed to be 477, 448 and 365 mm of water. The moisture stress yield functions data indicated that the optimum yield of wheat grain of 2349 Kg/ha was obtained when the crop was irrigated at 75% soil moisture depletion level under properly fertilized conditions. The water use efficiency was increased by 23% with the increase of moisture stress. The highest water use efficiency of 5.9 Kg/mm was obtained when the crop was irrigated at 90% soil moisture depletion.