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Performance of Maize and Sunflower to Abiotic Stresses: Excess Water During Emergence and Salinity During Reproductive Stage

Md. Enamul Kabir
Agrotechnology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna-9208, Bangladesh

Bidhan Chandro Sarker
Agrotechnology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna-9208, Bangladesh

S.M. Hasibur Rahman
Agrotechnology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna-9208, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Excess of wetness and salinity in soil are the two major constraints of cropping during the winter season in southwestern (SW) Bangladesh. Seed sowing and crop establishment in the saturated soil might utilize the soil profile water (non-saline) in the early stage of growth and irrigation with natural canal water (low salinity) may open up opportunities for cropping in the winter season. The current pot study (two separate experiments) was conducted with sunflower and maize by sowing seeds in excessively wet field soil (collected, soil moisture was more than field capacity, 42% v/v) in small pots for their performance of emergence to evaluate grain yield. After emergence in small pots, the plants were transferred to large pots and allowed to grow till maturity. The source of irrigation water with cumulative electrical conductivity (EC) was the treatment as freshwater, canal water, or NaCl solution. The strength (dS m^-1) of NaCl solution was made equal to that of canal water during each of the irrigation. The number of irrigation was four and the ECs were 3.2, 3.9, 4.6, and 5.4 dS m^-1 on 30 January, 15 and 28 February, and 15 March, respectively. In both crops, all irrigations were completed by 74 days after sowing (DAS) and the plants were harvested at 75 DAS for dry matter (DM) measurement and 110 DAS for DM, yield, and yield attributes. The emergence of seeds decreased significantly when seeds were sown in wet soil which caused the closing of seed holes from the surface of wet soil. Decreased grain yield was recorded for both of the crops (28% in sunflower and 40% in maize compared to that by freshwater irrigation) due to irrigation by canal water or NaCl solution. The yield and yield attributes were numerically lower in NaCl solution irrigation in both of the crops through the ECs of both canal water and NaCl solution maintained as same. The crops were established successfully in excessive wet soil, but the yield loss was due to irrigation water salinity (irrespective of source). The yield loss would have been decreased if the crops were sown early (in late December or early January instead of early February in the current study) and completing the irrigations by February. The findings of the current study suggest that sunflower and maize might be grown in the field by using canal water as a potential irrigation source in SW Bangladesh.

Keywords: Waterlogging, Establishment, Winter crops, Irrigation, Salinity.

Location: Khulna University Campus.

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Crop-Soil-Water Management

Commodity: Water salinity, Maize, Sunflower

Objectives:

To investigate the early establishment of maize and sunflower in saturated soil after T. aman rice harvest.

Methodology:

Two separate pot experiments (each for maize and sunflower) in the plastic shed (transparent) were conducted at Dr. Purnendu Gain Field Laboratory in Khulna University Campus. The treatments were the source of irrigation water with cumulative EC. For each maize and sunflower experiment, the salinity levels were the same: (i) Control (Freshwater, EC, 0 dS m^-1) (ii) Canal water (EC was measured at each time of irrigation throughout the growing period of maize and sunflower) (iii) Saline solution made by table salt (NaCl) keeping the exact EC to that of canal water at each irrigation. Usually, we conduct experiments with saline water made by NaCl only to observe the crop response. But, in natural saline water, salts of Ca, Mg, etc. are also present. For the presence of these salts, the growth performance of plants is sometimes inhibited or very rarely enhanced (Marschner, 1995). For a better understanding of the response of maize and sunflower under the (semi) controlled condition, the NaCl solution with the same EC of canal water at each of the irrigation was included. There were 3 replications of each treatment. The crops were harvested during the flowering stage (to compare between data of two harvests) and at maturity. Thus the treatment combination for each crop was: 3 salinities X 2 harvests X 3 replications = 18 pots, and total pots for two crops were 36; each pot contained two plants. Each experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD). The soil was collected from typical coastal cropland, Hogladanga, Batiaghata, Khulna (22°73' N latitude and 89°52' E longitude). Top (0–10 cm) and the saturated soil were collected after the harvest of T. Aman. For the initial emergence of the selected crops, the saturated topsoil was kept in a 1-kg pot (12 cm in diameter, 6 cm high, small pot) then four seeds of maize or sunflower in the separate pot were sown on 3 January 2018. After emergence (~14 days), thinning was done and two healthy seedlings were kept in each of the small pots and the plants from the small pot were transferred in a 10-kg pot (17-cm high, 20 cm diameter, large pot) containing dry soil collected from the same place (Hogladanga, Batiaghata, Khulna). The small pots were used for the emergence of the seed that could mimic the field wetness of the soil after the T. Aman rice harvest. After the transfer of the plant from a small pot to the large one (perforated in the bottom for draining out of excess water), light irrigation with fresh water was done for adaptation of the plants in a large pot. The treatment irrigation with saline or freshwater was started after two weeks of transferring the plants to a bigger pot, ~one month after sowing. Canal water for irrigation was collected from the canal nearby the field (from which the pot-soil was collected) and carried to Khulna University. The salinities of canal water during irrigations were 3.2, 3.9, 4.6, and 5.4 dS m^-1 on 30 January, 15 and 28 February, and 15 March, respectively. The NaCl solution was made at par with the EC of canal water at each of the irrigations by adding table salt with reverse osmosis (RO) water. In control, the crops were irrigated with the RO water and the EC was maintained as zero at each of the irrigation. The irrigation was applied according to the water holding capacity of the used soil. The water holding capacity was measured following Asher et al., (2002). The saline solution of the respective concentration was applied to pots according to the water holding capacity which we have termed as field capacity (FC) water in the subsequent sections. Total four irrigations were applied by 74 days after sowing (DAS). Treatment irrigation was not applied during emergence (it was applied one month after sowing and 15 days after transfer of seedlings to the large pots). Data collection: Data were collected following standard procedures on soil moisture and salinity, water EC at every irrigation, crop phenological data, dry matter, seed yield, and biological yield of both crops. Statistical analysis: The collected data were analyzed for each of the crops by one-way ANOVA by Statistics 10. The treatment means were compared by the Least Significant Difference (LSD) test at a 5% level of significance.

Source of Information: South Asian J. Agric. Vol. 8, No. 1 & 2, 2020-’21: 29-35

Article Link (Online Journal): https://discipline.ku.ac.bd/at

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

From the study it could be concluded that (i) the early establishment of sunflower and maize in excessive wet soil is possible by dibbling the seed and keeping the seed-hole open; (ii) the production of DM reduced due to saline water irrigation (either canal water or NaCl solution) might happen as an effect of applying irrigation water with EC over 4 dS m^-1 at a later stage of crop growth. The results need to be tested in the field by irrigating the winter crops from natural canal water where EC increases with the progress of winter (dry) season or confined canal water where water EC remains low (safe for irrigation). Early establishment of winter crops in saturated soil after T. Aman could open up the opportunity of cropping and lessen the effect of salinity on crops in SW Bangladesh.

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