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Energy balance and crop water stress in winter maize under phenology-based irrigation scheduling

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Abstract

In eastern India, cultivation of winter maize is getting popular after rainy season rice and farmers practice irrigation scheduling of this crop based on critical phenological stages. In this study, crop water stress index of winter maize at different critical stages wase determined to investigate if phenology-based irrigation scheduling could be optimized further. The components of the energy budget of the crop stand were computed. The stressed and non-stressed base lines were also developed (between canopy temperature and vapor pressure deficit) and with the help of base line equation, [(T c − T a) = −1.102 VPD − 3.772], crop water stress index (CWSI) was determined from the canopy-air temperature data collected frequently throughout the growing season. The values of CWSI (varied between 0.42 and 0.67) were noted just before the irrigations were applied at critical phenological stages. The soil moisture depletion was also measured throughout the crop growing period and plotted with CWSI at different stages. Study revealed that at one stage (silking), CWSI was much lower (0.42–0.48) than that of recommended CWSI (0.60) for irrigation scheduling. Therefore, more research is required to further optimize the phenology-based irrigation scheduling of winter maize in the region. This method is being used now by local producers. The intercepted photosynthetically active radiation and normalized difference vegetation index over the canopy of the crop were also measured and were found to correlate better with leaf area index.

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Acknowledgments

Authors are grateful to authorities of Space Application Centre (Indian Space Research Organization), Ahmadabad, India, for providing some instruments to carry out the study. Authors are helpful to Director, Water Technology Centre for Easter Region, Bhubaneswar, India, for providing facilities to implement the research work. Authors are also grateful to NRDMS, DST, New Delhi for sponsoring the project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agro Meteorology, Water Technology Center for Eastern Region (ICAR), P.O.: S.E Railway Project Complex, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, 751023, India

    Gouranga Kar

  2. Department of Agricultural Engineering, Water Technology Center for Eastern Region (ICAR), Bhubaneswar, India

    Ashwani Kumar

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  1. Gouranga Kar
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  2. Ashwani Kumar
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Correspondence to Gouranga Kar.

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Communicated by A. Kassam.

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Kar, G., Kumar, A. Energy balance and crop water stress in winter maize under phenology-based irrigation scheduling. Irrig Sci 28, 211–220 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-009-0192-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-009-0192-x

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