Role of precision irrigation scheduling and residue-retention practices on water-use efficiency and wheat (Triticum aestivum) yield in north-western plains of India

The field experiment was carried out in split-plot design during the winter (rabi) seasons of 2011–12 to 2014–15 at Karnal, Haryana, to study the effect of precision irrigation scheduling and conservation agricultural practices on yield and water-use efficiency (WUE) of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop in north-western plains of India. The crop residue retention @ 2.5 t/ha resulted in significantly higher grain yield (5.73 t/ha) and generated a net return of (42, 645/ha) in comparison to no-crop residue retention (5.54 t/ha) and residue retention @ 5 t/ha (5.61 t/ha). Application of less volume of water at greater frequency via tensiometer-based irrigation scheduling helped conserve water. The tensiometer-based irrigation scheduling proved far superior to the other irrigation practices for the fact that irrigation scheduling was significantly affected based on SWP. The water-use efficiency under irrigation scheduled at 80 kPa was the highest (1.95 kg/m³) followed by 60 kPa (1.45 kg/m³) and irrigations scheduled at critical growth stages (1.11 kg/m³), though yield at 80 kPa was significantly lower than other 2 irrigation schedules. Irrigation scheduling at 60 kPa yielded higher and also was more efficient than irrigation at all critical growth stages.