Water deficit and yield in maize crop

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the impact of water deficit on maize grain yield, as well as the irrigation effectiveness, considering all the crop cycle and, specifically, the flowering period. Data were collected during ten years in several experiments, in which variable doses of irrigation were applied by an aspersion system located in the center of the experimental area. Water balances were calculated, and the precipitated water (rainfall and irrigation) and the maximum evapotranspiration of the maize were considered as inputs. Models of regression for 27 water conditions were adjusted, relating grain yield to water deficit and actual evapotranspiration to maximum evapotranspiration ratio (ETr/ETm). The highest reduction on grain production occurred in consequence of the water deficit during pollination, zygote formation and initial development of the grain, with a quadratic relation. For this period, the ratio ETr/ETm explains almost 80% of the variations in grain yields, stabilizing over a ratio of 0.7. The irrigation increases and stabilizes the maize production; doses of irrigation of approximately 60% of that necessary to rise soil moisture up to field capacity increase the efficiency of use of the irrigation.