干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

The optimization of irrigation water management in agricultural areas is essential for a sustainable and efficient agriculture; it acquires greater relevance in arid and semiarid regions. This process requires knowledge on requirements and opportunity to apply water to important, efficient crops to convert water into grain and dry matter. This study was aimed to determine models of production under different irrigation regimes at two developmental stages of maize (Zea mays L.). Seven treatments corresponding to the San Cristobal treatment matrix withtwo variation factors were tested: (40 - 40), (40 - 80), (60 - 60), (60 - 100), (80 - 40), (80 - 80) and (100 - 60) of the available soil moisture consumed by maize from emergence to start of flowering, and from this stage to physiological maturity, respectively. Treatments were distributed under a randomized complete blocks experimental design with four replications. The evaluated variables were grain yield (t ha(-1)), water use efficiency (kg m(-3)) and soil moisture regime. Results show that maize reaches the highest grain yield and water use efficiency at 10.3 t ha(-1)y and 1.63 kg m(-3), when it grows on approximately 60 and 59 % of the available soil moisture consumed at the vegetative and reproductive stages, respectively. Additionally, it was found that optimal water consumption was 40.3 and 23.2 cm of water at the two studied stages.