Effect of Water Stress and N Fertilizer Levels on Yield and Water Use Efficiency of Forage Millet

Abstract

Aims: This study was conducted to study effect of irrigation deficit and N fertilization on yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of forage millet cv. Nutrifeed. Study Design: Experimental design was split-plot based on randomized complete block with three replications. Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was carried out in research field of Islamic Azad University, Birjand branch, Birjand, Iran in 2011. Methodology: The factors included irrigation levels (100 and 50% supply of plant water requirement) and N fertilizer levels (0,75,150 and 225kg.ha-1) were the main and sub-plots, respectively. Results: The results showed that the decrease in irrigation level from 100 to 50% supply of PWR decreased forage fresh yield 38.8% and total dry yield by 40.1%, significantly. The effect of N on total forage fresh and dry yield and yield components was significant. As N level was increased from 0 to 225kg.ha-1, forage dry yield increased by 81.2%. The complete irrigation treatment with the application of 225kgN.ha-1 had the highest production potential with total forage fresh yield of 49.3t.ha-1. WUE was significantly affected by N levels. As N level was increased to 225kg.ha-1, WUE was 67.52, 35.09 and 13.56% higher than that at N levels of 0, 75 and 150kg.ha-1. Conclusion: In total, according to the results, complete irrigation with the application of 225kgN.ha-1 increased forage and protein yield per unit area.