The effect of using subsurface water retention technology on the available content of soil nutrients under subsurface drip irrigation system

Abstract

To evaluate the effect of using subsurface water retention technology (SWRT) in rationing added irrigation water and in the growth and yield of Zea mays L., Field experiments were conducted under the subsurface drip irrigation system in two locations: one in the Palm Tissue Research Station affiliated to the Ministry of Agriculture in Najaf Governorate. The second location of the experiment was conducted in the research fields of the College of Agriculture in Al-Jadriya, affiliated to the University of Baghdad, for two seasons, spring and autumn of 2016. The study included four treatments: SWRT, organic matter, tillage, and no tillage. The treatments were distributed according to a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replicates. Zea mays L. seeds were planted and the date and amount of irrigation water were determined for each irrigation after draining 50% of the available water based on the moisture data of GS3-Soil Moisture Sensor to monitor the volumetric moisture content at depths of 15, 30 and 45 cm using Data Logger devices to store and represent the data every four hours and throughout the growing season. The results showed that the use of SWRT technology increased the availability of nutrients in the soil as well as increased the concentration of nutrients in the plant, as the SWRT treatment was superior in increasing the concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the vegetative group, as the concentration of nitrogen increased by 26.37%, phosphorus by 43.33% and potassium by 33.33% compared to the plowing treatment in the first season of cultivation for the Baghdad location, and the percentage of increase in the concentration of nitrogen was 35.19%, phosphorus by 32.14% and potassium by 30.32% compared to the plowing treatment for the Najaf location.