EFFECT OF MULCH, PLANTING TECHNIQUES AND INCREASED MAD LEVEL ON YIELD AND WATER PRODUCTIVITY OF MAIZE UNDER A SEMI-ARID ENVIRONMENT.

A field study was conducted to estimate the combined effects of delayed irrigations under increased Management Allowed Depletion (MAD) level and moisture conservation practices on the yield and water productivity of maize crop. The experiment was carried out at Water Management Research Center (WMRC), University of Agriculture, Jhang Road Faisalabad. Total eight treatments, including conventional ridge sowing (CRS) without mulch (CRS + no mulch), conventional ridge sowing with mulch (CRS + mulch), bed-furrow sowing (BFS) without mulch (BFS + no mulch), bed-furrow planting with mulch (BFS + mulch), bed-furrow planting without mulch and with 60% MAD (BFS + no mulch + 60% MAD), bed-furrow planting with mulch and 60% MAD (BFS + mulch + 60% MAD), bed-furrow planting without mulch and 70% MAD (BFS + no mulch + 70% MAD), bed-furrow planting with mulch and 70% MAD(BFS + mulch + 70% MAD) were randomly allocated in randomized complete block design (RCBD). Each treatment was further replicated thrice in order to reduce the experimental error. Results showed that BFS + mulch + 60% MAD treatment increased the grain yield by 23% to 25%, total dry matter (TDM) by 7% to 10%, plant height by 11% to 12% and harvest index by 16% to 19% as compared to CRS + no mulch treatment. Furthermore, BFS with 70% MAD under with and without mulch resulted a significant reduction in plant traits. Additionally, delayed irrigation application reduced the water use by maize due to decrease in application losses on BFS under wheat straw mulch. It is concluded that mulching in BFS could be beneficial to harvest maximum yield of maize under deficit as well as normal irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]