Effect of partial rootzone drying (PRD) and application potassium and zinc fertilizer on water use efficiency on corn

Subject Areas : Journal of Plant Ecophysiology

H.R. Ebrahimi ¹ (گروه زراعت و اصلاح نباتات، واحد علوم وتحقیقات خوزستان، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، اهواز، ایران)
H. Heydari Sharifabad ² (گروه زراعت و اصلاح نباتات، واحد علوم وتحقیقات تهران، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، تهران، ایران)
Sh. Lak ³ (گروه زراعت و اصلاح نباتات، واحد علوم وتحقیقات خوزستان، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، اهواز، ایران)
A. Naderi ⁴ (گروه زراعت و اصلاح نباتات، واحد علوم وتحقیقات خوزستان، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، اهواز، ایران)
A. Modhej ⁵ (گروه زراعت و اصلاح نباتات، مرکز تحقیقات کشاورزی و منابع طبیعی خوزستان، اهواز ایران.)

Received: 2015-09-24 Accepted : 2015-09-24 Published : 2015-09-01

Keywords: zinc, Grain yield, : Corn, Water Use Efficiency, PRD irrigation, Potassium,

Abstract :

Innovations for saving water in irrigated agriculture and thereby improving water use efficiency are of paramount importance in water-scarce regions. Therefore, to see how restricted irrigation systems and different potassium and zinc fertilizer affect water use efficiency and yield of corn, an experiment was conducted in an arid area in Marvdasht, Iran in 2012. A split-Factorial experimental design was used based on a complete randomized block design with three replications. The main plots consisted of two irrigation methods: FI (full irrigation) and partial rootzoon drying (PRD). Each subplot received three rates of K fertilizer application: 0, 2.5 or 5 kg ha-1 and three rates of Zn fertilizer application: 0, 2.5 or 5 kg ha-1 .The results showed that the plots receiving the full irrigation resulted in significantly higher grain yields, 1000-kernel weight and grain number per cob than PRD treatment. However, the highest WUE and IWUE were obtained in PRD, 5 kg K ha-1 and 5 kg ZN ha-1 and the lowest one was found in the FI treatment .In general, PRD irrigation method at high level of potassium and zinc fertilizer improved WUE and decreased WU in corn to 40% in an arid region.