Nutrient Uptake of the Individual Crops in Maize and Groundnut Cropping System Grown under Different Irrigation Systems with Varied Irrigation and Nitrogen Levels

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to assess the effects of irrigation systems, irrigation and N levels on nutrient uptake of rabi maize and summer groundnut during 2021-22 and 2022-23 at the College Farm, College of Agriculture, Rajendranagar, PJTAU, Hyderabad. The experiment composed of 18 treatment combinations (3 irrigation systems as main plot, 3 irrigation levels as sub-plot and 2 nitrogen levels as sub-sub-plot) in a split plot design replicated thrice. The study revealed that irrigation systems, irrigation and N levels and the interaction of irrigation systems and irrigation levels influenced the nutrient uptake of maize and groundnut crops during both the years of experimentation. Significantly higher NPK uptake was observed with sub-surface drip irrigation (M2), irrigation level at 1.2 Epan;IW/CPE (S1) and  N level at 100 per cent RDN (N1). The interaction of irrigation systems and irrigation levels (M x S) was significant while the interaction of N levels with irrigation systems (M x N) and irrigation levels (N x S) was not significant for both rabi maize and summer groundnut. The interaction of irrigation systems and irrigation levels revealed that in both maize and groundnut crops at earlier crop growth period the M3S1 (surface irrigation with 1.2 IW/CPE) resulted in significantly higher NPK uptake followed by M2S1 and M2S2 (sub-surface drip irrigation with 1.2 and 0.9 Epan). However at later crop growth stages due to prolonged fertigation schedules in micro irrigation systems, the higher NPK uptake was observed with M2S1 and M2S2 followed by surface drip irrigation system with 1.2 Epan (M1S1) and surface irrigation system with 1.2 IW/CPE (M3S1) while M3S3 resulted in lowest NPK uptake at all crop stages and in grains & stover/haulm during both the consecutive years (2021-22 and 2022-23).