Abstract

ZAVALA-BORREGO, Felipe et al. Effect of evapotranspiration rate on leaf area, water potential and yield of forage corn. Rev. Mex. Cienc. Agríc [online]. 2022, vol.13, n.3, pp.407-420.  Epub Aug 08, 2022. ISSN 2007-0934.  https://doi.org/10.29312/remexca.v13i3.2294.

Due to the growing demand for fresh water, it is necessary to improve the efficiency in the use of water in agriculture. The objective of this work was to determine the effect of different irrigation sheets on the leaf area index (LAI), leaf temperature (Lt), leaf water potential (ψw) and yield in forage corn (Zea mays L.) under a drip irrigation system. The study was conducted in the summer of 2019 at the facilities of the La Laguna Experimental Field in Matamoros, Coahuila, Mexico. Three levels of evapotranspiration (ET) (60, 80 and 100%) and one control treatment (flood irrigation) were evaluated. Three drought-tolerant, high-yielding corn varieties were used. The experimental design used was randomized complete blocks with four repetitions, with an arrangement of treatments in split plots. The main plot was the irrigation treatments, and the secondary plot was the corn varieties. The variables measured were leaf area index (LAI), leaf temperature (Lt), leaf water potential (ψw), dry forage yield and water use efficiency. The different levels of ET affected the LAI, ψw, Lt and yields of the crop, conditioning the biomass production of the crop. The results indicated that the volume of water applied in the treatments with subsurface drip irrigation was 27 to 40% lower with respect to flood irrigation. The efficiency in the use of water was evaluated, the best results were obtained when the water was applied according to the phenological stage of the crop with the treatment of 100% ET affected by a crop coefficient (Kc).

Keywords : Zea mays L.; drip irrigation; dry matter; thermal differential.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in English | Spanish     · English ( pdf ) | Spanish ( pdf )