Abstract
Deficiencies in water and nitrogen (N) can lead to poor crop growth and production. This study was carried out during 2012–2014 to determine (1) the effect of drip irrigation regimes and N fertilizer rates on root length density (RLD) of corn (Zea mays L. cv. Single cross 704) and soil moisture dynamics and (2) the relationship between root development and water availability. The experiment was arranged into a split-plot design with three irrigation regimes as the main factor (I1 = 60, I2 = 80, and I3 = 100% evapotranspiration [ETc]) and five levels of N fertilizer (N1 = 0, N2 = 50, N3 = 100, N4 = 150 and N5 = 200 kg/ha) as the subfactor. The combination I1N4 produced the highest grain yield and yield components while I3N5 gave the lowest performance. The highest RLD was recorded at full irrigation water requirement and it increased with increasing N rate, but not in a linear trend, as higher N rates showed less effect. Nitrogen application under drip irrigation increased the RLD in soil depending on irrigation level. Soil moisture was optimized at full irrigation water requirement and 150 kg/ha N.
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