Tissue ion content of wheat and maize irrigated with blended and alternate use of canal and tubewell water

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted during Rabi 1992 and Kharif 1993 in SCARP −1 area to study the effect of blended and alternate use of canal and saline tubewell water on tissue ion content of wheat and maize fodder. Plant samples were collected at different growth stages, which after oven drying were analyzed for sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and chloride contents. That data showed that at early growth stages different water qualities did not have significant effect on wheat growth. However it increased and different treatments differed significantly in the order canal > alternate > blend > tubewell.Wheat tissue sodium and chloride at all the growth stages were in the order tubewell > blend > alternate > canal. Tissue potassium was slightly higher at initial growth stages but later on it decreased and finally it was in the order canal > alternate > blend > tubewell. Tissue calcium and magnesium content in wheat were high at initial stage and were in the order canal > alternate > blend > tubewell. These decreased significantly at the later stages. The fresh and dry weight of maize plants at all the growth stages was in the order canal > blend > alternate use > tubewell. Tissue sodium and chloride of maize at all the three stages were in the order tubewell > alternate > blend > canal. These increased with growth of plants but tissue potassium decreased with increase in growth. Tissue calcium and magnesium content was affected non-significantly with different water qualities and at different growth stages.