Effect of varying water applications on growth, yield and water use efficiency of okra under drip irrigation in Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria

The conservation of water is crucial to sustainable agricultural production during dry season when there is little or no rainfall to improve crop production. Thus this study is aimed to estimate the effects of different levels of water applications on the growth, yield and water use efficiency of Okra under drip irrigation system during dry season. The sixteen plots consist of four treatments (2 m x 2 m) with four replicates in a complete randomized block design to determine the water consumptive use of Okra. The growth, yield and water use efficiency of Okra under four different irrigation management i.e irrigation water applied at 100FIT (full irrigation treatment), 80FIT, 60FIT and 40FIT were measured. Results showed highest growth parameters being observed at 100FIT and the least at 40FIT. The difference in the growth parameters in all the experimental blocks were not significant (p=0.05) for all the stages of development of okra. Using standard bar errors the yield obtained at 60 and 100FIT was not significantly different but significantly different when compared to other treatment blocks and it ranges from 2.05-3.60 tons/ha. The Irrigation Water Use Efficiency (IWUE) ranges from 0.024-0.041tons/ha.mm while the Crop Water Use Efficiency (CWUE) ranges from 0.0088-0.0139 tons/ha.mm. Okra crop irrigated with drip irrigation at 60FIT recorded the highest IWUE, CWUE and about 73% more yield than the 40FIT of 0.041 tons/ha.mm, 0.0139 tons/ha.mm and 3.56 tons/ha respectively. It was concluded that Okra crop irrigated at 60FIT should be adopted in order to save 40% water to irrigate additional land. Drip irrigation is encouraged during dry season for farmers to produce okra all year round.