Quantitative evaluation of corn drainage-requirement accounting for water-table influences and contributions

Abstract: Due to over-irrigation and seepage from unlined canals in Nile Delta region, Egypt, problems of rising the soil water-table (SWT) on some crops are evident. The question remains whether the corn yield will be affected by having shallow fluctuated water-table conditions. Thus studies on the crop-drainage requirement, seasonal consumptive use, and water use efficiency for corn in relation to water-table depth were undertaken in twenty lysimeters, 2X2X2 m3, each. Water-tables were statically maintained at 40, 70, 100, 130, and 160 cm from soil surface with 4 replications. Two crops of TC320 corn variety were grown in 1994 and 1995 seasons. A water budget model was used to evaluate the capillary upward water flux as influenced by the different SWT depths.
An exponential equation with high correlation value (describing the capillary flux in relation to the SWT depths) was found. The daily water-table contributions averaged 0.38 and 0.03 cm/day for SWT of 40 and 160 cm depth, respectively. Where 78.3 and 3.6 % of the seasonal corn consumptive use were supplied by capillarity. The smaller the deeper SWT , i.e., 160 cm and vice versa at 40 cm depth. Irrigation and depletion contributions were identified by a regression model and increased as the SWT depth increased. Irrigation water contributed by about 20 and 76 %; whereas, depletion contributed by about 1.9 and 20 % of the corn consumptive use (CU) at 40 and 160 cm depth, respectively.
The general performance of corn growth was that the higher the grain and dry shoot yields the deeper the depth to the SWT. It was suggested that 130 cm SWT could be regarded as an optimum depth for corn production. Water-use efficiency (WUE) was inversely related to the SWT depth up to 100 cm for the different growth parameters. However, grain yield of the first season revealed highest WUE at 130 cm SWT depth. Deeper which WUE significantly increased. Thus, the average amounts of water, over the two years of study, were 523.1 and 256.5 kg to produce 1 kg of grain and 1 kg of dry shoot, respectively. Hence, these results showed again the importance of controlling the SWT between 100 and 130 cm from the soil surface. A simple equation was derived to estimate the corn yield index as a function of the dry shoot weight
Publication year 1999
Pages 157-174
Availability location Soils, Water and Environment Research Institute, ARC
Availability number
Organization Name
City Zagazig
serial title Egyptian J. Soil Sci. 39(2):157-174.
ISSN 1110-1571
Author(s) from ARC
Agris Categories DrainageSoil erosion, conservation and reclamation
AGROVOC
TERMS		 Drainage. Groundwater table. Infiltration water. Maize.
Publication Type Journal
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