Assessment of Planting Method and Deficit Irrigation Impacts on Physio-Morphology, Grain Yield and Water Use Efficiency of Maize ( Zea mays L.) on Vertisols of Semi-Arid Tropics.

Agriculture in a water-limited environment is critically important for today and for the future. This research evaluates the impact of deficit irrigation in different planting methods on the physio-morphological traits, grain yield and WUE of maize ( Zea mays L.). The experiment was carried out in 2015 and 2016, consisting of three planting methods (i.e., BBF, SNF, and DWF) and four irrigation levels (i.e., I _10D : irrigation once in ten days, I ₄₀ : irrigation at 40% DASM, I ₅₀ : irrigation at 50% DASM, and I ₆₀ : irrigation at 60% DASM). The results reveal that varying degrees of water stress due to planting methods and irrigation levels greatly influenced the maize physio-morphological traits and yield attributes. The combined effect of DWF + I ₅₀ benefited the maize in terms of higher leaf area, RWC, SPAD values, CGR, and LAD, followed by the SNF method at 60 DAS. As a result, DWF + I ₅₀ and SNF + I ₅₀ had higher 100 grain weight (30.5 to 31.8 g), cob weight (181.4 to 189.6 g cob ^-1 ) and grain yield (35.3% to 36.4%) compared to other treatments. However, the reduction in the number of irrigations (24.0%) under SNF + I ₅₀ resulted in a 34% water saving. Thus, under a water-limited situation in semi-arid tropics, the practice of the SNF method + I ₅₀ could be an alternative way to explore the physio-morphological benefits in maize.