Water Use under Different Varieties of Pearl Millet

A field experiment was conducted with four varieties of pearl millet (Pennisetum typhoides (Burmf) S & H) BD 111, NHB 5, BK 250 and PHB 10 on their water use, root growth and relative water contents. For all the varieties, data were obtained at regular intervals of time on the variation in soil moisture content and potential at different depths in the profile. Hydraulic conductivity as a function of moisture content was determined in the laboratory, which was used to calculate the flux in the root zone, The results indicated that the water expended per unit quantity of biomass produced was lowest for BD 111. whereas, it was highest for PHB 10. The relative water contents decreased with crop growth, nevertheless, they showed a positive relationship to profile moisture. The differences in root growth between varieties were not significant, probably due to exceptionally high rainfall received during the season.