Effect of Different Irrigation Water Qualities on Turnip Production and Water Productivity under Furrow Irrigation Method
Pages 340-346

Ashifa Soomro, Abdullah Baloch, Shakeel Ahmed Soomro, Ahmed Ali Tagar, Shoukat Ali Soomro and Allah Wadhayo Gandahi

DOI: https://doi.org/10.6000/1927-5129.2017.13.56

Published: 19 June 2017

Abstract: A field experiment was conducted at Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam during the year 2015-16, aiming to investigate the response of turnip crop to various salinity levels of irrigation. The experiment was placed applying randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four different treatments i.e. Freshwater (I₁), EC_w with 2.5, 3 and EC_w3.5 dS m^-1 (I₂, I₃ and I₄) respectively replicated thrice. The results for experiment placed revealed an average increase in soil EC_e 0.09, 0.17, 0.26 and 0.38 dS m^-1 under I₁, I₂, I₃ and I₄ respectively. An decrease in dry density (g cm^-3) of soil profile, decrease in pH 0.19, 0.38, 0.5 and 0.84 in treatments I₁, I₂, I₃ and I₄ respectively and an decrease in agronomical data i.e. weight and diameter were also observed with an increase in EC_w by the water being irrigated. Crop water productivity with 5.83, 4.35, 2.97 and 1.85 kg m^-3 for treatmentsI₁, I₂, I₃ and I₄ respectively also decreased with an increase in EC_w and Nacl. Average yield of 19.27, 14.37, 9.83 and 6.12 kg was obtained with applied treatments i.e. I₁, I₂, I₃ and I₄ respectively, thus a decrease in yield with 25.45%, 31.60% and 37.72% with treatments I₂, I₃ and I₄ was observed when compared as treated by freshwater (I₁). Therefore farmers can use irrigation water having EC_w 3.5 dS m^-1 for the turnip crop at reduction of 37.72% (approximately).

Keywords: Irrigating water qualities, Furrow irrigation method, Turnip growth, Turnip yield, Water productivity.

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