Influence of coir pith application on soil moisture distribution with different irrigation regimes of aerobic rice (Oryza sativa) cultivation under trickle irrigation system

Abstract

An experiment was conducted during the summers of 2019 and 2020 at the AICRP Water Management field, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Madurai, Tamil Nadu to study the effect of coir pith application on soil moisture distribution of aerobic rice (Oryza sativa L.) with different irrigation regimes. Treatment consisted of 3 irrigation regimes, viz. I1 , Trickle irrigation at 120% Pan Evaporation (PE); I2 , 100% PE, and I3 , 80% PE. Experiment separately, maintained the surface irrigation of IW: CPE 1.20 as control. The well-composed coir pith @375 kg/ha was spread over the raised beds and leveled well with surface soil. Soil samples were collected in vertical and horizontal directions for determining soil moisture by gravimetric method. Soil moisture appropriation was plotted graphically as contour maps used by the surfer. Results revealed that trickle irrigation at 120% PE with coir pith application improved the yield attributes of aerobic rice compared to surface irrigation (IW: CPE 1.20) owing to coir pith’s favourable hydrological and physical properties to hold and spread the water in the raised bed area.