Damla Sulama Sistemi İle Sulanan Mısırın Su Verim İlişkileri: İzmir Menemen Örneği

This study was conducted in the Menemen Plain during the years 2009–2010 to determine the water-yield relationship of maize. A drip irrigation system was employed, and irrigations were scheduled at 7-day intervals based on evaporation measured from a Class A evaporation pan. In the drip irrigation setup, laterals were arranged either one per crop row or one per two rows. Irrigation treatments were based on applying 100%, 75%, 50%, and 25% of the cumulative 7-day evaporation as irrigation water, in addition to a non-irrigated (rainfed) control treatment. Although higher grain yields were obtained from the treatment with one lateral per row, statistical analysis indicated that the number of laterals had no significant effect on yield. The effect of irrigation water amount on maize grain yield was significant at the 0.01 probability level in both years. The highest yields were obtained from the treatment where one lateral was placed per row and 100% of the 7-day cumulative evaporation was applied as irrigation water. The average maize grain yields from this treatment were 1,223 kg/da in 2009 and 1,125 kg/da in 2010, with irrigation water applied amounting to 371 mm and 313 mm, and crop water consumption calculated as 482 mm and 475 mm, respectively.