Vol. 7, Issue 5 (2018)

Author(s):
V Kaviya, NK Sathyamoorthy, CR Chinnamuthu, M Rajeswari

Abstract:
A field experiment was conducted at Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai, TNAU, Tamil Nadu, during rabi season (2017 – 2018) to study the effects of deficit irrigation (DI) on growth and yield of sunflower under drip system. The experiment was laid out in Randomized block design with three replication, used TNAU sunflower hybrid Co2 as a test crop. The treatments comprised of conventional drip irrigation at 100% ET_c (T₁) and 75% ET_c (T₂), Irrigation at 100% and 75% ET_c as alternate irrigation cycle (T₃), Irrigation at 75% ET_c in alternate irrigation cycle (skip) (T₄), T₅, T₆ and T₇ - Irrigation at 75% ET_c skip during button initiation, flowering and seed filling, respectively. The growth parameters of plant height, dry matter production and growth analysis of leaf area index and crop growth rate and seed and stalk yield were recorded. Results indicated that deficit irrigation treatments significantly reduced the plant growth parameters and yield. Among the different treatments, the higher growth parameters were registered with drip irrigation at 100 % ET_c (T₁)_. Maximum seed and stalk yield was achieved in the same treatment. The lowest growth parameters and yield was noticed in the irrigation at 75 ET_c in alternate irrigation cycle (T₄)