EFFECT OF RIDGE SPACING AND IRRIGATION PATTERNS ON GROWTH, GRAIN YIELD, YIELD COMPONENTS, AND WATER PRODUCTIVITY FOR MAIZE CROP

Abstract

A Field trial was conducted in Gemmeiza Agricultural Research Station (Middle Nile Delta, Egypt) in 2011and 2012 to study the effect of four irrigation patterns under two ridge spacing on maize growth, grain yield, yield components, saving of applied irrigation water, and water productivity(WP). The assessed irrigation patterns were: 1) Control where all of furrows were irrigated (ALL), 2) irrigating via every other furrow starting at the 3rd irrigation (EOF3), 3) irrigation via every other furrow technique starting from the 4th irrigation (EOF4), and 4) irrigating with every other furrow starting from the 5th irrigation (EOF5). Irrigation patterns were evaluated under two ridge spacing (70 and 80 cm). The experimental design was randomized complete block arranged in incomplete block design, where replications were nested within ridge spacing and irrigation pattern treatments were randomly arranged within ridge spacing treatments. The most important findings could be as follows:- *Under 80-cm ridge spacing both days to 50% tasseling and 50% silking were significantly decreased, but 70-cm ridge spacing reduced ear height, and ear position (%). * Ridge spacing did not significantly affect plant height, grain yield, number of kernels per row, ear length, ear diameter, kernel depth, and 100-kernel weight. However, 80-cm ridge spacing was associated with higher ear length, ear diameter, kernel depth, and 100-kernel weight. *Irrigation pattern (EOF3) had significantly higher days to 50% tasseling than the control (ALL). Treatment EOF4 had the highest plant height. The lowest plant height was linked to EOF5 treatment but the highest ear height and ear position resulted from application of EOF3. *Grain yield was not significantly affected by irrigation patterns. Irrigation patterns EOF4 and EOF5 were associated with the lowest number of kernels per row. * Effect of ridge spacing x irrigation pattern Interaction was significant for plant height, ear height and kernel depth. *Applied irrigation water decreased, while water productivity increased under 80-cm comparing with 70-cm ridge spacing. The highest value of applied water was recorded for (ALL) irrigation pattern treatment with 70-cm ridge spacing. Application of EOF3, EOF4, and EOF5 patterns reduced applied irrigation water and improved water productivity. *The highest WP was recorded under the interaction of planting maize crop in 80-cm ridge spacing with EOF3 and EOF4 irrigation patterns. Saving irrigation water was higher at EOF3 followed by EOF4, then EOF5. This study strongly suggest applying every other furrow irrigation technique starting from the 3rd irrigation (EOF3) with planting maize crop on 80-cm ridge spacing to save more irrigation water without concomitant reduction in grain yield.