Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of full and limited irrigation amount and frequency on subsurface drip-irrigated maize evapotranspiration, yield, water use efficiency and yield response factors

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Irrigation Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to: (1) to evaluate the effects of subsurface drip irrigation amount and frequency on maize production and water use efficiency, (2) develop production functions and quantify water use efficiency, and (3) develop and analyze crop yield response factors (Ky) for field maize (Zea mays L.). Five irrigation treatments were imposed: fully irrigated treatment (FIT), 25 % FIT, 50 % FIT, 75 % FIT, rainfed and an over-irrigation treatment (125 % FIT). There was no significant (P > 0.05) difference between irrigation frequencies regarding the maximum grain yield; however, at lower deficit irrigation regime, medium irrigation frequency resulted in lower grain yield. There was a decrease in grain yield with the 125 % FIT as compared to the FIT, which had statistically similar yield as 75 % FIT. Irrigation rate significantly impacted grain yield in 2005, 2006 and 2007, while irrigation frequency was only significant during the 2005 and 2006 growing seasons (two dry years) and the interacting effect was only significant in the driest year of 2005 (P = 0.006). For the pooled data from 2005 to 2008, irrigation rate was significant (P = 0.001) and irrigation frequency was also significant (P = 0.015), but their interaction was not significant (P = 0.207). Overall, there were no significant differences between irrigation frequencies in terms of grain yield. Ky had interannual variation and average seasonal Ky values were 1.65, 0.91, 0.91 and 0.83 in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, respectively, and the pooled data (2005–2008) Ky value were 1.14.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andrioli KG, Sentelhas PC (2009) Brazilian maize genotypes sensitivity to water deficit estimated through a simple crop yield model. Pesq Agropec Bras (Brazil) 44(7):653–660

    Google Scholar 

  • Assouline S (2002) The effects of micro-drip and conventional drip irrigation on water distribution and uptake. SSSAJ 66:1630–1636

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Assouline S, Cohen S, Mecbach D, Harodi T, Rosner T (2002) Effect of micro-drip irrigation on yield, water uptake and drainage in sweet corn. SSSAJ 66:228–235

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bos MG (1980) Irrigation efficiencies at crop production level. ICID Bull 29(2):18–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Bos MG (1985) Summary of ICID definitions of irrigation efficiency. ICID Bull 34(1):28–31

    Google Scholar 

  • Bryant KJ, Benson VW, Kiniry JR, Williams JR, Lacewell RD (1992) Simulating corn yield response to irrigation timings: validation of the EPIC model. J Prod Agric 5(2):237–242

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caldwell DS, Spurgeon WE, Manges HL (1994) Frequency of irrigation for subsurface drip-irrigated corn. Trans ASAE 37(4):1099–1103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Camp CR (1998) Subsurface drip irrigation: a review. Trans ASAE 41(5):2–31

    Google Scholar 

  • Cassman KG, Liska AJ (2007) Food and fuel for all: realistic or foolish? Biofuels Bioprod Biorefin 1:18–23

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cassman KG, Dobermann A, Walters DT, Yang H (2003) Meeting cereal demand while protecting natural resources and improving environmental quality. Annu Rev Env Resour 28:315–358

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen WP, Hou ZN, Wu LS, Liang YC, Wei CZ (2010) Effects of salinity and nitrogen on cotton growth in arid environment. Plant Soil 326:61–73

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Djaman K, Irmak S (2012) Soil water extraction patterns, crop-, irrigation-, and evapotranspiration water use efficiency under full and limited irrigation and rainfed conditions. Trans ASABE 55(4):1223–1238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Djaman K, Irmak S (2013) Actual crop evapotranspiration and alfalfa- and grass-reference crop coefficients of maize under full and limited irrigation and rainfed conditions. J Irrig Drain Eng 139:433–446

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Djaman K, Irmak S, Rathje WR, Martin DL, Eisenhauer DE (2013) Maize evapotranspiration, yield production function, biomass, grain yield, harvest index, and yield response factors under full and limited irrigation. Trans ASABE 56(2):273–293

    Google Scholar 

  • Domínguez A, de Juan JA, Tarjuelo JM, Martínez RS, Martínez-Romero A (2012) Determination of optimal regulated deficit irrigation strategies for maize in a semi-arid environment. Agric Wat Manag 110:67–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doorenbos J, Kassam AH (1979) Yield response to water. In: FAO irrigation and drainage paper 33. United Nations, Rome

  • Doorenbos J, Kassam AH (1994) Efeito da água no rendimento das culturas. Campina Grande: UFPB. Estudos FAO: Irrigação e Drenagem 33. United Nations, Rome

  • Eck HV (1986) Effects of water deficits on yield, yield components, and water use efficiency of irrigated corn. Agron J 78(6):1035–1040

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El-Hendawy SE, Schmidhalter U (2010) Optimal coupling combinations between irrigation frequency and rate for drip-irrigated maize grown on sandy soil. Agric Wat Manag 97:439–448

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El-Hendawy SE, Hokam E, Schmidhalter U (2008a) Drip irrigation frequency: the effects and their interaction with nitrogen fertilization on sandy soil water distribution, maize yield and water use efficiency under Egyptian conditions. J Agron Crop Sci 194(3):180–192

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • El-Hendawy SE, Abd El-Lattief EA, Ahmed MS, Schmidhalter U (2008b) Irrigation rate and plant density effects on yield and water use efficiency of drip-irrigated corn. Agric Wat Manag 95:836–844

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • FAO (2011) Subset production crops database. http://faostat3.fao.org/home/index.html. Accessed 18 Feb 2015. FAO, Rome

  • Farré I, Faci JM (2009) Deficit irrigation in maize for reducing agricultural water use in a Mediterranean environment. Agric Wat Manag 96(3):383–394

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freeman BM, Blackwell J, Garzoli KV (1976) Irrigation frequency and total water application with trickle and furrow systems. Agric Wat Manag 1:21–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grimes DW, Yamada H, Dickens WL (1969) Functions for cotton production from irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer variables. I. Yield and evapotranspiration. Agron J 61(5):769–773

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gulati HS, Murty VVN (1979) A model for optimal allocations of canal water based on crop production functions. Agric Wat Manag 2(1):79–91

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanson BR, Dm May, Schwankl LJ (2003) Effect of irrigation frequency of subsurface drip irrigated vegetables. Hort Technol 13(1):115–120

    Google Scholar 

  • Howell TA (2001) Enhancing water use efficiency in irrigated agriculture. Agron J 93(2):281–289

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howell TA, Schneider AD, Evett SR (1997) Subsurface and surface microirrigation of corn: southern high plains. Trans ASAE 40(3):635–641

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang Q, Rozelle SD, Huang J, Wang J (2002) Irrigation and yields in China’s agriculture. University of California-Davis, CA

    Google Scholar 

  • Irmak S (2010) Nebraska water and energy flux measurement, modeling, and research network (NEBFLUX). Trans ASABE 53(4):1097–1115

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Irmak S (2015a) Interannual variation in long-term center pivot maize evapotranspiration and various water productivity response indices. I: grain yield, actual and basal evapotranspiration, irrigation-yield production functions, evapotranspiration-yield production functions, and yield response factors. J Irrig Drain Eng ASCE 141(5):04014068-1-17. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)IR.1943-4774.0000825

    Google Scholar 

  • Irmak S (2015b) Interannual variation in long-term center pivot maize evapotranspiration and various water productivity response indices. II: irrigation water use efficiency, crop WUE, evapotranspiration WUE, irrigation-evapotranspiration use efficiency and precipitation use efficiency. J Irrig Drain Eng ASCE 141(5):04014069-1-11. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)IR.1943-4774.0000826

    Google Scholar 

  • Irmak S, Istanbulluoglu E, Irmak A (2008) An evaluation of evapotranspiration model complexity against performance in comparison with Bowen ratio energy balance measurements. Trans ASABE 51(4):1295–1310

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Irmak S, Rees JM, Zoubek GL, VanDeWalle BS, Rathje WR, DeBuhr R, Leininger D, Siekman DD, Schneider JW, Christiansen AP (2010) Nebraska agricultural water management demonstration network (NAWMDN): integrating research and extension/outreach. Appl Eng Agric 26(4):599–613

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Irmak S, Odhiambo LO, Specht JE, Djaman K (2013) Hourly and daily single and basal evapotranspiration crop coefficients as a function of growing degree days, days after emergence, leaf area index, fractional green canopy cover, and plant phenology for soybean. Trans ASABE 56(5):1785–1803

    Google Scholar 

  • Irmak S, Odhiambo LO, Kranz WL, Eisenhauer DE (2014) Irrigation efficiency and uniformity, and crop water use efficiency. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Circular EC732

  • Irmak S, Payero JO, VanDeWalle B, Rees J, Zoubek G, Martin Dl, Kranz WL, Eisenhauer DE, Leininger D (2016) Principles and operational characteristics of Watermark granular matrix sensor to measure soil water status and its practical applications for irrigation management in various soil textures. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Circular EC783

  • Kang Y, Wan S (2005) Effect of soil water potential on radish (Raphanus sativus L.) growth and water use under drip irrigation. Scientia Horticulturae 106:275–292

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kang S, Zhang L, Liang Y, Cai H (2002) Effects of limited irrigation on yield and water use efficiency of winter wheat on the Loess Plateau of China. In: McVicar TR, Li R, Walker J, Fitzpatrick RW, Liu C (eds) Regional water and soil assessment for managing sustainable agriculture in China and Australia, ACIAR monograph no. 84, pp 105–116

  • Kundu MC, Mandal B, Sarkar D (2008) Assessment of the potential hazards of nitrate contamination in surface and groundwater in a heavily fertilized and intensively cultivated district of India. Environ Monit Assess 146:183–189

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lamm FR, Trooien TP (2001) Irrigation capacity and plant population effects on corn production using SDI. In: Proc. Irrigation Assn. Int’l. Irrigation Technical Conf., Nov. 4–6, 2001, San Antonio, pp 73–80. http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/sdi/Reports/2001/icpp.pdf

  • Li SX, Wang ZH, Li SQ, Gao YJ, Tian XH (2011) Effect of plastic sheet mulch, wheat straw mulch, and maize growth on water loss by evaporation in dryland areas of China. Agric Wat Manag 116:39–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu CM, Zhang XY, Zhang YQ (2002) Determination of daily evaporation and evapotranspiration of winter wheat and maize by large-scale weighing lysimeter and micro-lysimeter. Agric For Meteorol 111:109–120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu H, Yu L, Wang X, Huang G (2011) Responses of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) evapotranspiration and yield to sprinkler irrigation regimes. Agric Wat Manag 98(4):483–492

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu X, Shao L, Sun H, Chen S, Zhang X (2013) Responses of yield and water use efficiency to irrigation amount decided by pan evaporation for winter wheat. Agric Wat Manag 129:173–180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Musick JT, Dusek DA (1971) Grain sorghum response to number, timing, and size of irrigations in the southern high plains. Trans ASAE 14(401–404):410

    Google Scholar 

  • Orgaz R, Maetos L, Fereres E (1992) Season length and cultivar determine the optimum evapotranspiration deficit in cotton. Agron J 84:700–706

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Payero JO, Tarkalson DD, Irmak S, Davison D, Petersen JL (2008) Effect of irrigation amounts applied with subsurface drip irrigation on corn evapotranspiration, yield, water use efficiency, and dry matter production in a semiarid climate. Agric Wat Manag 95:895–908

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Payero JO, Tarkalson DD, Irmak S, Davison D, Petersen JL (2009) Effect of timing of a deficit-irrigation allocation on corn evapotranspiration, yield, water use efficiency and dry mass. Agric Wat Manag 96:1387–1397

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pejić B, Maheshwari B, Seremesić S, Stricević R, Pacureanu-Joita M, Rajić M, Cupina B (2011) Water-yield relations of maize (Zea mays L.) in temperate climatic conditions. Maydica 56(4):315–321

    Google Scholar 

  • Raviv M, Wallach R, Silber A, Medina S, Krasnovsky A (1999) The effect of hydraulic characteristics of volcanic materials on yield of roses grown in soilless culture. J Am Soc Hortic Sci 124:205–209

    Google Scholar 

  • Rudnick DR, Irmak S (2013) Impact of water and nitrogen management strategies on maize yield and water productivity indices under linear-move sprinkler irrigation. Trans ASABE 56(5):1769–1783

    Google Scholar 

  • Rudnick DR, Djaman K, Irmak S (2015) Performance and hysteresis analyses of capacitance and electrical resistance sensors in a silt-loam soil. Trans ASABE 58(3):649–665

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandhu KS, Arora VK, Chand R (2002) Magnitude and economics of fertilizer nitrogen response of wheat in relation to amount and timing of water inputs. Exp Agric 38:65–78. doi:10.1017/S0014479702000169

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SAS (2003) SAS ver. 9.3. SAS Institute Inc., NC, USA

  • Segal E, Ben-Gal A, Shani U (2000) Water availability and yield response to high-frequency micro-irrigation in sunflowers [CD-ROM]. In: Proc 6th Int. Micro-Irrigation Congr. 22–27 Oct 2000, Int. Council Irr. Drainage, Cape Town

  • Sharmasarkar FC, Sharmasarkar S, Held LJ, Miller SD, Vance GV, Zhang R (2001) Agroeconomic analysis of drip irrigation for sugarbeet production. Agron J 93:517–523

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silber A, Bruner M, Kenig E, Reshef G, Zohar H, Posalski I, Yehezkel H, Shmuel D, Cohen S, Dinar M, Matan E, Dinkin I, Cohen Y, Karni L, Aloni B, Assouline S (2005) High fertigation frequency and phosphorus level: effects on summer-grown bell pepper growth and blossom-end rot incidence. Plant Soil 270:135146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun HY, Shen YJ, Yu Q, Flerchinger GN, Zhang YQ, Liu CM, Zhang XY (2010) Effect of precipitation change on water balance and WUE of the winter wheat–summer maize rotation in the North China Plain. Agric Wat Manag 97:1139–1145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Szeles AV, Megyes A, Nagy J (2012) Irrigation and nitrogen effects on the leaf chlorophyll content and grain yield of maize in different crop years. Agric Wat Manag 107:133–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • USDA-NRCS (1985) National engineering handbook: section 4, hydrology. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • van Donk SJ, Petersen JL, Davison DR (2009) Effect of amount and timing of subsurface drip irrigation on corn production. In: An ASABE meeting presentation, paper number: 095610. St. Joseph

  • van Donk SJ, Petersen JL, Davison DR (2012) Effect of amount and timing of subsurface drip irrigation on corn yield. West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte (Paper 73)

    Google Scholar 

  • Vaux JHJ, Pruitt WO (1983) Crop water production functions. In: Hillel D (ed) Advances in irrigation, vol 2. Academic Press Inc, New York, pp 61–97

    Google Scholar 

  • Viets FG Jr (1962) Fertilizers and the efficient use of water. Adv Agron 14:223–264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wan S, Kang Y (2006) Effect of drip irrigation frequency on radish (Raphanus sativus L.) growth and water use. Irrig Sci 24:161–174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Q, Cui Y, Liu X, Dong Y, Christie P (2006) Soil contamination and plant uptake of heavy metals at polluted sites in China. J Environ Sci Heal 38:823–838

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang L, Wang W, Dorsey J, Yang X, Guo B, Shum HY (2005) Real-time rendering of plant leaves. In: Proc. ACM SIGGRAPH 2005, Los Angeles, 31 July–4 August 2005, pp 167–174

  • Xu JJ, Shuttleworth WJ, Gao X, Sorooshian S, Small EE (2004) Soil moisture-precipitation feedback on the North American monsoon system in the MM5 OSU model. Q J R Meteorol Soc 130:2873–2890

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yazar A, Gokcel F, Sezen MS (2009) Corn yield response to partial rootzone drying and deficit irrigation strategies applied with drip system. Plant Soil Environ 55(11):494–503

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yazar A, Howell TA, Dusek DA, Copeland KS (1990) Evaluation of crop water stress index for LEPA irrigated corn. Irrig Sci 18(4):171–180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  •  Zegada-Lizarazu W, Gracia-Apaza E, Ephrath J, Berliner P (2007) Above and below ground development of Acacia saligna shrubs grown under different irrigation frequencies in an arid environment. Plant Soil 297:157–169

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

As a Principal Investigator, Dr. Suat Irmak expresses his appreciation to the United States Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation District (USDA-NRCS) for providing partial funding for this study under the Grant Agreement Number: 65-6526-5-197. This study is based upon the work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Hatch Project, under the Project Number NEB-21-167.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA

    Suat Irmak

  2. Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), B.P. 96, Saint-Louis, Senegal

    Koffi Djaman

  3. Department of Biological Systems Engineering, West Central Research and Extension Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, North Platte, NE, USA

    Daran R. Rudnick

Authors
  1. Suat Irmak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Koffi Djaman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Daran R. Rudnick
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Suat Irmak.

Additional information

Communicated by S. O’Shaughnessy.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Irmak, S., Djaman, K. & Rudnick, D.R. Effect of full and limited irrigation amount and frequency on subsurface drip-irrigated maize evapotranspiration, yield, water use efficiency and yield response factors. Irrig Sci 34, 271–286 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-016-0502-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-016-0502-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation