EFFECT OF IRRIGATION ON YIELD AND WATER USE OF INDIAN MUSTARD ( BRASSICA JUNCEA) , ROCKET SALAD ( ERUCA SATIVA) , SAFFLOWER ( CARTHAMUS TINCTORIUS) AND PIGEON PEA ( CAJANUS CAJAN)

Abstract

THE PAPER DISCUSSES THE RESULTS OF A FIELD EXPERIMENT CONDUCTED AT KOTA ( RAJASTHAN) DURING 1986-89 TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF 3 IRRIGATION LEVELS ON YIELD , WATER USE AND WATER USE EFFICIENCY OF INDIAN MUSTARD ( BRASSICA JUNCEA L) CZEMJ & COSSON., ROCKET SALAD OR TARAMIRA ( ERUCA SATIVA MILLER) SAFFLOWER ( CARTHAMUS TINCTORIUS L) . THREE LEVELS OF IRRIGATION WERE 10CM AT PRE SOWING (II) 11+5 CM AT BRANCHING (12) AND 12+5 CM AT FLOWERING (13). THE SAME IRRIGATION TREATMENTS WERE ALSO APPLIED TO INTERCROPPED PIGEON PEA ( CAJANUS CAJAN L) MILLSP. AFTER THE HARVEST OF SORGHUM ( SORGHUM BICOLOR L) MOENCH . INDIAN MUSTARD AND ROCET SALAD GAVE THE MAXIMUM YIELD WITH 2 IRRIGATIONS (12) , WHEREAS SAFFLOWER AND PIGEONPEA GAVE THE MAXIMUM YIELD WITH 3 IRRIGATIONS (13). TOTAL WATER USE BY THE CROPS INCREASED WITH AN INCREASE IN THE LEVEL OF IRRIGATION . AMONG THE CROPS , SAFFLOWER SHOWED THE HIGHEST WATER USE (264 cm), WHEREAS ROCKET SALAD THE LOWEST (20.8 cm) . WATER USE EFFICIENCY WAS THE MAXIMUM WITH 2 IRRIGATIONS IN INDIAN MUSTARD (82.9 kg/ha-CM) and ocket salad (61.1 KG/HA cm) AND WITH 3 IRRIGATIONS IN SAFFLOWER (77.9 kg/ha -cm) AND PIGEON PEA (82.8 kg/ha-cm).