The productivity of Maize (Zea mays L.) water using efficacy and consumptive use under different irrigation systems

Under conditions of freshwater scarcity in Iraq, farmers are looking to adopt more effective irrigation methods compared with conventional. In 2016 and 2017, a field experiment was performed over two years to evaluate optimal irrigation method for maize Zea mays L. production using a Randomized Completely Bloke Design RCBD with five irrigation furrow treatments I0, surface drip I1, and subsurface drip with three depths of emitter 10cm I2, 20 I3, and 30cm I4 respectively. These treatments were irrigated when 50- 55% of the available water was depleted; then, a sensor system was utilized to identify the required water amount to bring the soil in the crop root area to the capacity field. The results indicated that the consumptive water use of furrow 707.91 and 689.69 mm surface drip 558.65 and 529.66 mm and subsurface drip with emitter deep at 10 cm 400.38 and 380.83 mm, 20cm 313.93 and 293.50 mm and 30cm 345.61 and 325.28 mm for 2016 and 2017 respectively. Subsurface drip irrigation increases crop yield; the greatest yield grain was optioned under the treatment subsurface drip irrigation with 20 cm emitter depth and the lowest under surface drip irrigation.