EFFECT OF DRIP AND FURROW IRRIGATION METHODS ON WATER SAVING, YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS OF SUNFLOWER CROP

The availability of fresh water in Pakistan has become a major issue due to increasing population, urbanization and industrialization. Therefore it is mandatory to promote modern irrigation methods and to manage existing conventional irrigation methods. Present study was attempted to compare drip and furrow irrigation methods for water use efficiency, water saving, yield and yield components of sunflower. The experiments were carried out at the experimental site of Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam during 2013. The total area (12 × 6 m 2 ) was divided into two plots. Of which one plot (6 × 6 m 2 ) was used for furrow irrigation method and other for drip irrigation method. Physical and chemical characteristics of soil such as: dry bulk density (1.46 g cm -3 ) infiltration rate (22 mm hr -1 ) and field capacity (29 %), pH (8.2), EC (1.17 dS m -1 ) and soil texture (Silt loam) were measured before the cultivation of the crop. The emission uniformity of drip irrigation system ranged between 87.8 to 90.8% and implies that the system was working satisfactorily according to design. Results showed that higher water use efficiency of 0.68 kg m -3 under drip irrigation, while lowest water use efficiency of 0.25 kg m -3 found under furrow irrigation method. Drip irrigation system saved 45.96% water and gave 32.7% more yield as compared to furrow rrigation system. Moreover total water consumed under drip irrigation was 54.22% less than that offurrow irrigation methods. In addition to this drip irrigation method yielded maximum plant height (215 cm), head diameter (25.2 cm), stem girth (6.56 cm), number of seeds per head (743), weight of the seeds per head (52 g), seed index (69.98 g), seed yield (09.36 kg plot -1 ) and (2600 kg ha -1 ) as compared to that of furrow irrigation method. It is concluded that drip irrigation method is better in all respects; it should be promoted all over the world particularly in developing countries where scarcity of water is the major issue.