Water productivity of spring sunflower (helianthus annuus L.) under varying planting methods and irrigation schedules

A field experiment was conducted at Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana to work out the water productivity of spring sunflower under varying planting methods and irrigation schedules during 2010. The experiment was laid out in split plot design keeping five methods of planting [Flat sowing (Flat), sowing at the top of ridge laid down in east-west direction (TR), sowing on the southern slope of ridge laid down in east-west direction (SR), sowing at the centre of raised bed laid down in east-west direction (CB) and sowing on the southern slope of raised bed laid down in east-west direction (SB)] in main plots and three irrigation schedules (IW/CPE 0.8, 1.0 and 1.2) in sub-plots with four replications. The results revealed that different planting methods and irrigation schedules significantly influenced the seed yield of sunflower. Maximum seed yield (21.6 q/ha) recorded with SR method was 1.4, 11.6, 12.5 and 21.8% higher than SB, TR, CB and Flat methods, respectively. Among the irrigation schedules, maximum seed yield was obtained when crop was raised with irrigation scheduling at 1.2 IW/CPE (20.7 q/ha) which was statistically at par with 1.0 IW/CPE (20.2 q/ha) but significantly higher than 0.8 IW/CPE (17.8 q/ha). Water use in flat method was 2.5, 3.3, 4.4 and 5.1% higher than SR, TR, SB and TB, respectively.