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Water and Irrigation

Water and Irrigation

Sustain and rapid growth, development and yield of maize specially after tasselling stage adequate supply of moisture is essential. A vigorously growing maize plant needs about 2 to 3 liter of water per day during peak growing period or on an average its consumptive use of water varies from 2.5 to 4.3 mm per day. Maize can be grown without additional irrigation in region receiving about 60 cm of well distributed rainfall.

Maize is grown in three seasons viz. Kharif, Rabi and Zaid but in Sikkim maize is mainly grown in the pre-kharif and kharif season which is entirely based on rainfed cultivation, during the period adequate rainfall is essential. It has been estimated that the maize crop requires more than 50% of its total water requirement in about 30 to 35 days after tasselling and lack of moisture at the grain filling stage results in the poor yield of shriveled grains. A good crop of maize needs a rainfall or irrigation about 1 to 1.2 meters per hectare during its life cycle and most of which is needed during the growth period. Moisture stress at early growth stage result in a delayed tasselling and silking by 3 to 5 and 5 to 8 days respectively, while stress at later stage of growth cause a drastic reduction in yield. If maize is sown on the day of Sripanchami, it often followed a dry spell of two weeks which result in uneven germination. Therefore, it is necessary to provide irrigation within a week after sowing. Water from nearby jhora/springs can be diverted through a pipe or bamboo and can be irrigated in lines rather than giving flood irrigation which induce weed growth. Excess moisture or water logging is also equally harmful as the crop cannot tolerate stagnant water. Crop grown under water logged condition become pale, grow poorly and the uniformity of the crop is lost. It is observed that water logging in maize field for one day damage the crop and for three days it almost spoil the whole crop therefore an efficient drainage is of greater significance. It is not a serious problem in Sikkim due to texture and topography of soil if raised beds are prepared.

There are certain critical growth stages of maize for irrigation at which moisture stress results in a considerable reduction of grain yield. Wilting of the plant for more than two days at any stage of its life cycle is harmful. The most pronounced critical growth stages for irrigation are seedling stage, knee high stage, flowering (tasselling and silking stage) and grain filling stage. If water is sufficient then crops should be irrigated at all four stages as mentioned above according to the soil moisture condition but under limited water a availability it may be irrigated thrice at seedling, tasselling and grain filling stage or twice at knee height and grain filling stages.