Effects of Drip Irrigation System for Enhancing Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) yield under System of Rice Intensification Management

Abstract

To increase both water productivity and rice production, research was carried out at the Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal, India, to evaluate the use of drip irrigation together with modifications in rice crop geometry and other cultural practices. Experiments were conducted with five alternative treatments: T1: Conventional paddy cultivation under continuous flooding, T2: System of Rice Intensification (SRI) methods which include alternate wetting and drying, T3: SRI methods with drip-irrigation, the emitters being spaced at 20 cm, T4: SRI methods with drip emitters spaced at 30 cm, and T5: SRI methods with drip emitters spaced at 40 cm. Greatest plant height and root length were recorded with SRI under drip irrigation at 20 cm spacing (T3). Yield and yield-contributing parameters were also significantly higher with this T3 treatment as compared with conventional practice (TI): productive tillers/m2, number of grains per panicle, average panicle length and weight, average grain yield (7 t/ha), and harvest index. Superior performance of the T3 treatment in terms of water productivity and water-energy productivity was also recorded. Among the drip-irrigated treatments, however, there was no statistically significant difference in grain yield between T3 and T4 treatments, indicating that drippers spaced at 30 cm could be recommended to lower the cost of the drip system installation.