Water balance and water productivity of Japanese mint (Mentha arvensis) as affected by irrigation and mulching
2018
Singh, Amanjeet | Singh, K.B. | Gurpreet Singh,
A field experiment was conducted during the spring season (March to July) of 2014 and 2015 at the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, in sandy-loam soil, to study the effect of irrigation and mulching regimes on field water balance and water productivity of Japanese mint (Mentha arvensis L.). Mean seasonal soil-moisture storage and transpiration were significantly more in flood irrigation and drip irrigation at 120% of evapotranspiration than drip irrigation at 100% and 80% of evapotranspiration during both years of the experiment. Mulching @ 6 t/ha and 3 t/ha resulted in an increase of 8.50% and 7.19% mean seasonal transpiration and a decrease of 33.97% and 22.86% mean seasonal evaporation as compared to the treatment where no mulch was applied. Water productivity (l/ha-mm) was significantly higher in flood irrigation (0.36) and drip irrigation at 120% of evapotranspiration (0.38) as compared to drip irrigation at 100% (0.32) and drip irrigation at 80% of evapotranspiration (0.32). Compared to flood irrigation, drip irrigation at 80%, 100% and 120% of evapotranspiration saved about 60%, 52% and 44% of irrigation water respectively. The highest net returns (73, 140/ha) and benefit: cost ratio (2.17) were recorded in drip irrigation at 120% of evapotranspiration compared to other irrigation regimes. Mulching @ 6 t/ha also recorded the highest net returns and benefit: cost ratio (64, 580/ha and 2.06).
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