Abstract
The aim of this study was to explore the effect of sowing methods and deficit irrigation on weed dynamics, yield and water-use efficiency (WUE) of the maize–cowpea system during the summer and monsoon seasons, respectively. The field experiment was carried out for two years (2015 and 2016) using a split design with three replicates under irrigated (maize) and rainfed (cowpea) conditions on vertisols of a semi-arid region. Treatments included three sowing methods [i.e., broad bed and furrow (BBF), corrugated furrow (CF) and ridges and furrow (RF)] and four irrigation levels [i.e., irrigation once in 10 days (I10D), irrigation at 40% (I40), at 50% (I50) and at 60% (I60) depletion]. The results indicated that, regardless of weed flora (monocots, dicots and sedges), the RF method produced higher weed density (2.09–2.98 No. m−2) compared to CF (2.00–2.80 No. m−2) and BBF (1.85–2.64 No. m−2) in maize at 30 and 60 days after sowing (DAS). The RF method with irrigation at I40 and I50 recorded significantly higher weed density, followed by the CF and BBF method. A similar trend was also observed with dry weight of weeds (monocot; 24.19%, dicot; 25.52%, and sedges; 29.80%) in maize at 30 and 60 DAS. Higher weed density and dry weight of weeds in the RF method with I40 was due to higher soil moisture availability and higher nutrient uptake due to larger lateral wetting of the soil and greater water use (29.27%). However, the BBF method favoured the growth of weeds (9.33–16.60%) in cowpea at 55 DAS and coped under rain-fed situation over CF and RF. The CF with moderate depletion (I50) method produced significantly higher maize equivalent yield (MEY) of cowpea (10,000 kg ha−1) with considerable reduction in the total water usage (19.33%). Therefore, under a water scarcity situation, growers can practice CF and I50 for higher yield and WUE of maize–cowpea sequence cropping.
Highlights
The Indian population has grown by more than 235% over the past six decades, coinciding with a significant increase in food production [1]
Individual effect of sowing methods and irrigation levels effects are only significant for 60 days after sowing (DAS)
At 30 DAS, the sowing methods corrugated furrow (CF) and ridges and furrow (RF) had a higher density of monocots (2.98 and 2.80 No m−2, respectively), dicot weeds
Summary
The Indian population has grown by more than 235% over the past six decades, coinciding with a significant increase in food production [1]. The country has achieved self-sufficiency in food production, cereals, by influencing the local environment through increased land, water and nutrient use [2]. India is the largest consumer of fresh water and 91% of it are mainly consumed in food grain production [3]. The depletion of groundwater has increased by 23% from 2000 to 2010 and is a major concern for future cereal production and selfsufficiency [4]. Cereals consume about 50% of the total water used in food production due to their significant share in Indian diets [5]. Maize (Zea mays L.) is the third most important crop grown throughout a wide range of climates and contributing by
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