Effect of surface and drip irrigation levels on growth, yield, nutrient uptake and water productivity of maize : A review

Maize (Zea mays L.) a miracle crop, grown over a wide range of climatic conditions in semi arid and sub tropics for food and fodder. Under irrigated condition, it has high production potential when compared to any other cereal crops. Water scarcity and soil infertility are two critical factors limiting maize grain yield over most regions. The limited water resources in the area and the cost of pumping irrigation water are the most important factors that force many farmers to reduce irrigation in deficit areas. The present furrow and flooding method of irrigation followed in maize are having low application and irrigation efficiency which in turn permitting more chances for loss of water. Therefore, switching over to modern methods of irrigation like drip irrigation is necessary to decrease water losses due to conveyance and evaporation. Therefore, effective water management for agricultural production in water scarce regions requires application of innovative and sustainable approaches. With the present context, nowadays drip irrigation is gaining a lot of importance due to its higher irrigation efficiency (90%) and also will curse down the drawbacks of the present methods. Hence, optimization of irrigation scheduling irrigation using drip system which reduces the water application losses without reducing the yield is of prime concern as both deficit and excess water supplies could affect maize growth in the tropical climate.