Mini-sprinkler Irrigation Influences Water and Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Wheat Yield in Western Indo-Gangetic Plains of India

Abstract

Indiscriminate water use and declining water table in western Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP) is threatening sustainability of rice-wheat cropping system. Mini-sprinkler irrigation system (MSIS) in wheat can save considerable amount of irrigation water under conservation agriculture. A four-year field experiment was conducted to study the influence of mini-sprinkler irrigation system on water and nitrogen use efficiency and wheat yield under conservation agriculture. The influence of mini-sprinkler irrigation system in zero tilled wheat with 100% rice residue mulch (MSIS-ZT+RM) was compared with surface irrigation system (SIS) in zero tilled wheat with 100% rice residue mulch (SIS-ZT+RM), and farmers’ practice i.e. surface irrigation system in conventionally tilled wheat without residue (SIS-CT-WR). MSIS-ZT+RM saved 43.3 and 25% irrigation water, and 50% nitrogen, as compared to SIS-CT-WR and SIS-ZT+RM, respectively. Although, yield attributes and wheat grain yield in MSIS-ZT+RM was at par with SIS-CT-WR (farmers’ practice) but MSIS-ZT+RM recorded 1.8 and 2.0-times higher grain water productivity (GWP) and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), respectively, than SIS-CT-WR. Considerable water saving, higher NUE with sustained yield suggests that mini-sprinkler irrigation system can be a viable option for ZT-wheat in the present scenario to counter declining water table