Effect of sowing methods, paddy straw mulch and irrigation schedules on crop performance, water productivity and monetary returns of barley (Hordeum vulgare)

A field experiment was conducted during the winter (rabi) season of 2013–14 and 2014–15 at Ludhiana, Punjab, to study the impact of sowing methods, mulch levels and irrigation schedules on crop performance and monetary returns of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). The sowing methods, i.e. bed and conventional flat sowing, did not influence significantly the growth, yield, water productivity and gross and net returns. Application of paddy straw mulch @ 6 t/ha increased the growth, dry-matter accumulation (5.3 and 11.5%), yield-attributing characters, yield (5.0 and 10.8%), water productivity (7.8 and 19.4%) and gross (4.9 and 10.8%) and net returns (2.0 and 4.2%) than 3 t/ha mulch and no-mulch application respectively. Irrigation schedule of irrigation water: cumulative pan evaporation (IW: CPE) ratio of 1.0 exhibited the maximum dry-matter accumulation at harvesting, yield-attributing characters, 3.7 and 5.8% higher grain yield and gross and net returns and 5.4 and 7.9% higher benefit: cost ratio than IW: CPE ratio of 0.8 and 0.6 respectively. However, water productivity was the maximum at an IW: CPE ratio of 0.6, being comparable to an IW: CPE of 0.8 and 9.7% higher than an IW: CPE of 1.0.