Corn yield response to partial rootzone drying and deficit irrigation strategies applied with drip system

Abstract

This paper evaluates the effect of partial root zone drying (PRD) and deficit irrigation (DI) strategies on yield and water use efficiency of the drip-irrigated corn on clay soils under the Mediterranean climatic conditions in Southern Turkey. Four deficit (PRD-100; PRD-75; PRD-50; and DI-50) and one full irrigation (FI) strategies based on cumulative evaporation (E<sub> pan</sub>) from class A pan at 7-day interval were studied. Full (FI) and deficit irrigation (DI-50) treatments received 100 and 50% of E<sub>pan</sub>, respectively. PRD-100, PRD-75 and PRD-50 received 100, 75 and 50% E<sub>pan</sub> value, respectively. The highest water use was observed in FI as 677 mm, the lowest was found in PRD-50 as 375 mm. PRD-100 and DI-50 resulted in similar water use (438 and 445 mm). The maximum grain yield was obtained from the FI as 10.40 t/ha, while DI-50 and PRD-100 resulted in similar grain yields of 7.72 and 7.74 t/ha, respectively. There was a significant difference among the treatments with respect to grain yields (<i>P</i> < 0.01). The highest water use efficiency (WUE) was found in PRD-100 as 1.77 kg/m<sup>3</sup>, and the lowest one was found in FI as 1.54 kg/m<sup>3</sup>.