Deficient Irrigation and Its Impact on Water Use Efficiency, Maize Yield and some of Its Components

Abstract

In spring 2021, a clay mixture soil field experiment was conducted in one of Babylon province’s Al-Ataij agricultural fields, 2 km from Hilla’s centre (32°29"24.178″N 43°26"56.459″E) to study the effects of incomplete irrigation on crop sensitivity, water use efficiency, maize yield, and some of its components. Three-replicate RCBDs. Eight treatments were used: the full irrigation treatment (control) after 50% of the available water was drained, and seven incomplete irrigation treatments (25% of the available water was provided after the soil moisture content reached the permanent wilting point) within the root zone. Negative or incomplete irrigation during vegetative development, blossoming, crop output, or both. The number of grains, 1000-grain weight, total yield, crop and field irrigation efficiency, additional water, and real water consumption were calculated. All farming followed rules. Water balance equations calculated effective evapotranspiration (Eta). Full irrigation used 335.26 mm, partial irrigation 341.55 mm, and 147.10 mm. Partial irrigation only lowered real water use by 9.61% in crop formation, 12.90% in vegetative development, and 26.11% in blooming. Insufficient irrigation did not alter yield components, number of grains, 1000-grain weight, or grain yield during yield development. Irrigation decreased characteristics by 1.2, 1.7, and 5.0%. Incomplete vegetative and flowering watering elevated attribute drop rates to 28.2, 9.4, and 54.6. Incomplete watering affects blooming more than vegetative growth and production. Except during growth phases, incomplete irrigation during crop development outperformed all other incomplete and full irrigation treatments. Incomplete crop irrigation was most efficient (1.075 kg/grain 1) and least average (0.75) kg/grain. Water-tolerant crop growth. Water-sensitive plant growth. Correcting poor flower watering boosted crop irrigation efficiency. Partial irrigation only improved crop development ethically.