Maize ( Zea mays L.) Water Management
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- Maize crop is sensitive to both moisture stress and excessive moisture, hence regulate irrigation according to the requirement.
- Ensure optimum moisture availability during the most critical phase (45 to 65 days after sowing); otherwise yield will be reduced by a considerable extent.
Regulate irrigation according to the following growth phase of the crop.
| Germination & establishment phase | : | 1 to 14 days |
| Vegetative phase | : | 15 to 39 days |
| Flowering phase | : | 40 to 65 days |
| Maturity phase | : | 66 to 95 days |
| Stage | No. of irrigation | Days after sowing |
| Heavy soils | ||
| Germination & establishment | 3 | After sowing, Life irrigation - 4th,12th day |
| Vegetative | 2 | 25th, 36th day |
| Flowering (Irrigate copiously) | 2 | 48th, 60th day |
| Maturity phase (Control irrigation) | 2 | 72nd, 85th day |
| Light soils | ||
| Germination & establishment | 3 | After sowing, Life irrigation-4th ,12thday |
| Vegetative Phase | 3 | 22nd ,32nd & 40th day |
| Flowering phase (Irrigate copiously) | 3 | 50th ,60th & 72nd day |
| Maturity phase (Controlled irrigation) | 2 | 85th , 95th day |
DRIP IRRIGATION TO MAIZE
- Irrigation once in 2 days
- Irrigation based on climatological approach
| Irrigation volume = Pe x Kp x Kc x A x Wp – Re |
- Pe – Pan evaporation rate (mm/day)
- Kp – Pan co-efficient (0.75 to 0.80)
- Kc – Crop co-efficient (0.4 – Vegetative stage; 0.75 – Flowering stage; 1.05 – Grain formation stage)
- A – Area (75 x 30 cm)
- Wp – Wetted percentage (80% for maize)
- Re – Effective rainfall (mm)
| Irrigation duration = | Water requirement per plant once in 2 days |
| No. of dripper / plant x Discharge rate (lph) |
DRIP FERTIGATION TECHNOLOGY
- Method of planting : paired row planting (60/90 × 30 cm)
- Fertilizer dose =150:75:75 kg NPK per ha
- Drip fertigation with Water soluble fertilizer (WSF)
| N | Polyfeed | 19-19-19 |
| P | MAP | 12-61-00 |
| K | KNO3 | 13-00-45 |
Polyfeed
19-19-19
MAP
12-61-00
KNO3
13-00-45
- Fertigation Device: Ventury assembly (3/4”) with injector pump (0.5 HP)
| Fertigation schedule for Hybrid maize with Water Soluble Fertilizers at (75 % RDF) | ||||||||||
| Stage (days) | Duration (days) | Fertilizer form | Fertilizer grade | Dose/ ha/ day | Total Qty (Kg/ha) | Nutrients kg/ha | ||||
| N | P | K | N | P | K | |||||
| 6 to 25 | 20 | MAP | 12 | 61 | 0 | 2.813 | 56.25 | 6.75 | 34.31 | 0.00 |
| 20 | Urea | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0.938 | 18.75 | 8.63 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 26-60 | 35 | PolyFeed | 19 | 19 | 19 | 2.143 | 75.00 | 14.25 | 14.25 | 14.25 |
| 35 | Multi- K | 13 | 0 | 45 | 1.500 | 52.50 | 6.83 | 0.00 | 23.63 | |
| 35 | Urea | 46 | 0 | 0 | 2.143 | 75.00 | 34.50 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 61-75 | 15 | PolyFeed | 19 | 19 | 19 | 2.750 | 41.25 | 7.84 | 7.84 | 7.84 |
| 15 | Multi- K | 13 | 0 | 45 | 1.600 | 24.00 | 3.12 | 0.00 | 10.80 | |
| 15 | Urea | 46 | 0 | 0 | 4.500 | 67.50 | 31.05 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| 112.96 | 56.40 | 56.51 | ||||||||
| Fertigation schedule for Hybrid maize with Normal Fertilizers (100% RDF) | ||||||||||
| Stage (days) | Duration (days) | Fertilizer form | Fertilizer grade | Dose/ ha/ day | Total Qty (Kg/ha) | Nutrients kg/ha | ||||
| N | P | K | N | P | K | |||||
| 6 to 25 | 20 | DAP | 18 | 46 | 0 | 5.00 | 100 | 18.0 | 46.0 | 0.0 |
| 20 | Urea | 46 | 0 | 0 | 2.50 | 50 | 23.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| 26-60 | 35 | DAP | 18 | 46 | 0 | 1.86 | 65 | 11.7 | 29.9 | 0.0 |
| 35 | Urea | 46 | 0 | 0 | 4.29 | 150 | 69.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| 35 | MOP | 0 | 0 | 60 | 2.14 | 75 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 45.0 | |
| 61-75 | 15 | Urea | 46 | 0 | 0 | 4.13 | 62 | 28.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 15 | MOP | 0 | 0 | 60 | 3.33 | 50 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 30.0 | |
| 150.2 | 75.9 | 75.0 |
| Drip irrigation in Maize field |