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EFFICIENCY OF DRIP VS FURROW IRRIGATION SYSTEM WITH VARIABLE PLANT DENSITY ON COTTON UNDER SOUTHERN PUNJAB CLIMATIC CONDITIONS
Dilbaugh Muhammad*, I. Raza ***, S. Ahmad**, M. N.Afzal ***, M.A. Mian*** Abstract
Water saving in agriculture intends to raise the water utilization rates and water use efficiency resulting in higher economic yield on irrigated farm land with a minimum input of water. It is comprehensive exercise using every drop of water for lint production including the use of natural precipitation as well as efficient management of irrigation network through a suitable irrigation method. Field experiment was conducted during the year 2010 to evaluate the effect of different irrigation methods on seed cotton yield and its components. The treatments were two irrigation methods i-e drip irrigation and furrow irrigation with three plant to plant spacing i-e 10, 20 and 30 cm. Cotton cultivar CIM-557 was dibbled manually on bed furrow at the Research Farm Area of Central Cotton Research Institute, Multan on silt loam soil. Results indicated that Drip irrigation method significantly increased seed cotton yield and yield components over furrow irrigation. Furthermore, narrow plant to plant spacing -1 -1 increased seed cotton yield than broad plant spacing. Similarly, maximum water use efficiency (7.9 kg ha mm ) and water saving of 53.3% was recorded by drip irrigation system as compared to furrow irrigation system. Keywords: Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), Drip Irrigation, Furrow Irrigation, Plant spacing, Bed-furrow

*
** ***

Senior Scientific Officer/Head Agronomy, Central Cotton Research Institute, Multan Assistant Professor Agronomy, University College of Agriculture, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan Scientific Officer Agronomy, Central Cotton Research Institute, Multan

Introduction
Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is a leading world wide fiber and cash crop that is grown commercially for agricultural and industrial purposes in the temperate and tropical regions of more than fifty countries (Smith, 1999). The cotton crop contributes 8.6% value addition in agriculture and is a source of employment i-e 40% for the rural community. It also fetches a substantial amount of foreign exchange 60% through exportable surplus of cotton fiber and fiber made products and about 1.8% to GDP. (Anonymous, 2009). A number of factors such as nature of cultivars, plant density, sowing time, nutrients and water management practices are involved in getting a profitable yield (Ali, et al., 2005). Ridge sowing and furrow sowing gave 6% more yield than flat /bed sowing (Madiwalar and Prabhakar, 1998) .Similar results were reported by Cetin et al. (1994) determined the effects of furrow, sprinkler, mobile nozzle, mobile drip, LEPA (Low Energy Precision Application) and subsurface irrigation methods on the yield and water use efficiency of cotton in Turkey. The drip, sprinkler, mobile nozzle and subsurface irrigation used 31, 28, 28 and 27% less water than furrow irrigation. They concluded that the drip irrigation was the most efficient method. Water use efficiency (WUE) was increased under drip and furrow irrigation methods as suggested by Shirahatti et al., (2007) who studied the impact of drip and furrow irrigation methods on the hybrid cotton yield and concluded that all the treatments showed increase in yield than control. The increase in yield varied from 2.1 to 28.4%. The application of 50% ETc and 50%Pw recorded yield just lower than control but its yield per unit of water used i.e. water use efficiency was higher than any other -1 -1 treatment. The water use efficiency (WUE) among the treatments varied from 21.2 to 39.41 kg ha cm whereas -1 -1 in control, it was only 16.5 kg ha cm . Drip irrigation system achieved approximately 70-80 lbs lint per inch of water applied while the furrow irrigated system achieved water use efficiency (WUE) of approximately 25 lbs lint per inch of water applied. It was reported by Norton and Silvertooth (2001) who evaluated drip and furrow irrigated cotton production system in the Marana valley. Furthermore, Ibragimov et al., (2007) indicated that under drip irrigation and optimal mode (70-70-60% of FC) of irrigation scheduling, 18-42% of the irrigation water use saved in comparison with furrow irrigated cotton grown under the same conditions. The irrigation water use efficiency increased by 35-103% compared with that of furrow irrigation whereas seed lint cotton yield increased by 10-19% relative to that for furrow irrigated cotton.

Material and Methods

A field experiment was conducted at the Agronomic Research Area of Central Cotton Research Institute, Multan during 2010 to determine the differences between water use efficiency of various irrigation methods and their effect on seed cotton yield and its components. Open pollinated cotton cv CIM-557 was used in this experiment. The trial comprised of the following treatments. The irrigation methods (Drip irrigation and furrow irrigation) were

in main plots while plant spacing (10, 20 and 30cm) were in sub plots. The cotton seed was planted on May 15 on silt loam soil. The experiment was laid out in split plot design having four replications. For furrow irrigation, bed-furrows were made on well prepared soil, 75 cm apart from each other by tractor driven implement. For proper bed shaping, bed shaper having special marker was used to mark the line on the beds for dibbling seed -1 at its proper place. Pre-emergence weedicide Pendimethalin 33% @ 2.5 L ha was sprayed at the time of bed shaping in dry condition. Irrigation was applied 72 hours after sowing by cut throat flume. Recommended doses -1 of NPK @ 150:50:50 kg ha was applied through conventional method. Whereas for drip irrigation, bed-furrows were made on well prepared soil, 75 cm apart from each other. For proper bed shaping, bed shaper was used having top 45 cm (width) with raised sides to support irrigation water applied by drippers. For sowing, tops of the beds were properly wetted and seed was dibbled manually beneath the raised edge of the beds. Pre-1 emergence weedicide Pendimethalin 33% @ 2.5 L ha was sprayed after dibbling by knapsack hand sprayer. Irrigation was applied 24 hours after sowing by using one lateral for two rows having 2 lph (liters per hour) with 40 cm distance within drippers. Plant population was maintained by thinning 20 days after sowing according to their respective treatments in both irrigation methods. Fertigation of recommended doses of NPK @ -1 150:50:50kg ha was done. Water use efficiency (WUE) as suggested by Viets, 1962 was calculated by the -1 -1 -1 formula WUE (kg ha mm ) = Seed cotton yield (kg ha ) / Water (I + R) Where I: irrigation applied in (mm), R: rainfall received in (mm).The standard statistical procedures were followed for analyzing the data.

Results and Discussion

The data presented in Table-1 showed that on an average basis, application of drip irrigation produced -2 -1 -2 significantly higher bolls m , boll weight (g) and seed cotton yield (kg ha ). Percent increase in bolls m , boll weight and seed cotton yield was observed 30.5, 1.2 and 19.7%, respectively in drip irrigation than furrow -2 irrigation. Average across the irrigation methods, plant spacing of 10 cm produced maximum bolls m (136) which was 11.9 and 23.6% higher as compared with 20 cm and 30 cm spacing respectively whereas increase in boll weight was observed as the plant spacing was increased (plant population is decreased). Maximum boll weight (2.54g) was recorded at plant spacing of 30 cm which was 2.4 and 4.9% higher in comparison to 20 and 10 cm plant spacing, respectively. Furthermore, narrow plant spacing (10cm) produced maximum seed cotton -1 yield (2687 kg ha ) which was 6 and 18.8% higher as compared to 20 cm and 30 cm plant spacing, respectively. Similar results were also found by Madiwalar and Prabhakar, (1998), Ibragimov et al., (2007) and Shirahatti et al., (2007).Water use efficiency in relation to different irrigation methods (Table 2) revealed that WUE was significantly higher by drip irrigation system. These findings are in accordance with the researchers including Xiping Ding et al. (2004) and Surya parsad Bhattari (2005) who reported that water use efficiency can be enhanced by drip irrigation system. Table 3 presents the data regarding water saving in case of different irrigation methods. The data indicated that water saving by drip irrigation was 53.3% over furrow irrigation system. Table-1 Impact of different irrigation methods and plant spacing on seed cotton yield and its components Irrigation Methods Drip Irrigation Plant Spacing 10 20 30 10 20 30 Bolls m
-2

Boll weight (g) 2.43 2.50 2.55 2.41 2.46 2.52 Boll weight (g) 2.49 2.46 Boll weight (g) 2.42 2.48 2.54

Seed Cotton yield (kg ha ) 2950 2776 2427 2424 2293 2096 Seed Cotton yield (kg ha ) 2718 2271 Seed Cotton yield (kg ha ) 2687 2535 2262
1 1

Furrow Irrigation

152 138 126 120 105 94 Bolls m 138.7 106.3 Bolls m 136.0 121.5 110.0
-2 -2

Sub Effects
Irrigation Methods Drip Irrigation Furrow Irrigation Plant Spacing (cm) 10 20 30

C.D 5% Irrigation Methods (I) 1.87 0.03 219.18 Spacing (s) 3.56 0.02 118.47 IxS N.S N.S N.S -1 -1 Table-2 Water use efficiency (kg ha mm ) of different irrigation methods and plant spacing Water use efficiency Irrigation Methods Plant Spacing -1 -1 (kgha mm ) Drip Irrigation 10 7.97 20 7.50 30 6.56 Furrow Irrigation 10 4.95 20 4.75 30 4.34 C.D 5% Irrigation Methods (I) 0.93 Spacing (s) 0.33 IxS N.S Table-3 Water saving %age of different irrigation methods Irrigation Methods Total water applied (mm) Water saving percentage Drip Irrigation 98 53.3 Furrow Irrigation 210 -

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