Effect of Micro-irrigation Technique on Physiological and Yield Traits in Aerobic Rice

Micro sprinkler irrigation as an alternative irrigation method can contribute substantially to lower water consumption. In the present study, micro-irrigation technique (micro sprinkler and drip irrigation) on PMK 3 rice has been studied to understand the physiological responses under aerobic environment. The physiological parameters viz., chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm ratio), relative water content (RWC) and soluble protein content were found to be significantly higher under flooded condition followed by drip and micro sprinkler irrigation. The photosynthetic pigment viz., chlorophyll ‘a’, ‘b’ and total chlorophyll content at flowering stage recorded higher values under drip irrigation than micro sprinkler. In the case of Fv/Fm ratio, the declining pattern was observed under micro-irrigation treatments. The decline in RWC might be due to severity of aerated condition in sprinkler irrigation treatments coupled with high transpiration rate. Water productivity (kg/ha mm) has increased more in micro-irrigation than compared to flooded irrigation.