Irrigation & Drainage Systems Engineering

Response of Maize (Zea Mays L.) To Soil Moisture Stress Condition at Different Growth Stages, Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia

Abstract

Ketema Tezera*, Abera Tesfaye, Gobena Dirirsa, Tilahun Hordofa, Tatek Wendimu, Aynalem Gurms, Tigist Worku and Gebeyehu Ashame

Water resources availability is a crucial limiting factor for crop production in arid and semi-arid area. Consuming these limited resources carefully and efficiently is unquestionable. The planning of irrigation permitting to the water stress tolerance and water use efficiency of crops remains the only way to guarantee the continuity of production in an arid area. Considering this an experiment has been conducted in Melkassa Agricultural Research Center where shortage of moisture is a problem. The experiment was laid out in RCBD with three replications having 15 experimental treatments. The treatments had four crop growing seasons or stages (Initial, Development, midseason and late season stages. Melkassa II maize variety was used for seed materials. Water stress had significant different effect on grain yield, above ground dry biomass, plant height and water productivity (P<0.05). Lower grain yield of maize cultivar was obtained from moisture stress treatment that irrigated only at initial stages (2.09 ton/ha) and higher grain yield was obtained from non-stressed treatment at all growth stages (6.19ton/ha). Maximum above ground dry biomass was gained from non-stressed treatment (9.67ton/ha) were as irrigating only at initial stage produces lower yield of biomass (3.06 ton/ha). Higher water productivity was obtained from treatment irrigated only at initial growth stage (2.15kg/m3).The lower water productivity of the study was obtained from treatment irrigated at all growth stages (0.82kg/m3). The result revealed that there was no significant (p>0.05) difference in grain yield among treatments stressed only at initial stage, late stage and non-stressed. However, stressing of maize at development and mid-season crop growth stage led to significant reduction of grain yield, above ground dry biomass and plant height. Therefore, stressing maize at combination of development stages and mid stages was more sensitive with significant yield penalty.