Effect of rice stubble and irrigation scheduling on water use efficiency (WUE) and water productivity of wheat

A field experiment in split plot design with 3 replications was conducted during the rabi season of 2021-22 at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa (Samastipur), Bihar to investigate the “Effect of rice stubble and irrigation scheduling on WUE and water productivity of wheat”. The treatments included 5 irrigation levels: I1 (Irrigation at the CRI stage), I2 (Irrigation at the CRI + boot stage), I3(Irrigation at the CRI + milk stage), I4(Irrigation at the CRI + late jointing + milk stage) and I5 (Irrigation at the CRI + maximum tillering + flowering + dough stage). 3 replications R1 (rice stubbles cut at a height of 5 cm), R2 (rice stubbles cut at a height of 20 cm) and R3 (rice stubbles cut at a height of 35 cm). HD- 2733 was the test cultivar. The soil texture of the experimental plot was sandy loam, with an alkaline reaction (pH 8.2) and low levels of available N (201.2 kg/ha), P2O5 (17.18 kg/ha), and K2O (120.05 kg/ha). I1 recorded the highest WUE and water productivity, which was highly significant and superior to I2, I3, I4, and I5. WUE and water productivity were all significantly higher with R2 treatment of rice stubbles but statistically at par with R1. Moisture content in the soil did not change significantly after 5 days between irrigations due to rice stubbles.