IMPROVEMENT OF CENTER PIVOT IRRIGATION SYSTEM MANAGEMENT USING WATER-SAVING TILLAGE

The study aimed to improve the management of center pivot irrigation system. This was achieved by evaluating the use of deficit irrigation (100%, 85% and 70% Etc.) with water saving tillage systems (mulch and strip tillage compared to full tillage) under center pivot irrigation system for corn silage production. Soil moisture content, starch content and agronomic parameters e.g. plant height, leaves area and stem diameter were measured. The experiment was in a “split plots design” with three replicates. The results indicated that aggregate soil water contents in the top 40 cm of the soil profile followed the same patterns and relative positions for each tillage treatment. Moisture contents of soil in the strip and the mulch practices were mostly statistically similar. Full tillage system and the reduced irrigation regime (70% ETc) were significant (P 0.05) inferior for agronomic attributes of corn plants in contrast with its corresponding treatments, and that, the 100% and 85% water regimes were statistically similar for almost all parameters. Mean corn silage yields were 9.4% and 6% greater for the strip tillage practice than for the full practice with 70% and 85%ETc, respectively, but for mulch tillage the yield 4.7% greater than full tiled with 100% ETc. The results indicated that deficit irrigation has a positive effect when applying with strip tillage followed by mulch tillage where 15 to 30% of water can be saved.