Abstract:
A field study was carried out at the Muhammad Khaskheli Farm, located at Taluka Thana Boula Khan, District Jamshoro during the year 2008. The pitcher, polyethylene bag, and furrow irrigation methods were compared on the basis of water use efficiency, yield, and water saving. The experimental setup for three irrigation methods was established. Irrigation to furrows was supplied through a watercourse and quantity of water was measured through a cutthroat flume. While a measured quantity of water to the pitcher and polyethylene bag methods was manually supplied. The results indicate that the water holding capacity of the pitchers ranged between 7.9 and 9.0 liters, whereas the seepage rate was between 1.1 and 1.5 1/day. The wetting front vertically moved to a maximum of 13.4 cm depth and it reached to a distance of 22.6 cm laterally. The results further suggest that the highest yield and WUEs were achieved under pitcher irrigation method as compared to furrow and polyethylene bag methods. The pitcher method has the higher WUE. It was higher by 90% and 40% as compared to polyethylene and furrow irrigation methods, respectively. An overall yield increase under pitcher over furrow was about 58% while, it was 18% over polyethylene bag method. The yield increase under polyethylene bag over furrow irrigation was calculated to about 49%. Pitcher irrigation method saved water by about 75.4% as compared to furrow irrigation method while it saved water by about 26.5% as compared to polyethylene bag method. Similarly, the polyethylene bag, saved 66.5% compared to furrow method. Thus, the highest water saving was achieved under pitcher irrigation method as compared to both under furrow and polyethylene bag irrigation methods.
Page(s):
16-29
DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: Pakistan Journal of Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering and Veterinary Sciences, Volume: 26, Issue: 1, Year: 2010