Response of maize to ridge-furrow planting with surface drip irrigation system in semi-arid conditions of upper Indus basin

Abstract

In Punjab, maize (Zea mays L.) is commonly cultivated using ridge-furrow or double ridge-furrow planting patterns, which require evaluation under drip irrigation. This study assessed maize performance under different planting configurations with drip irrigation during the autumn (2018, 2019) and spring (2019, 2020) seasons. Four treatments were evaluated: M₁) 75 cm spaced ridge-furrow, M₂) 90 cm wide beds, M₃) 105 cm wide beds, and M₄) 120 cm wide beds. Drip lines were installed in furrows for M₁ and on bed tops for M₂, M₃, and M₄. Across seasons, M₁ recorded the tallest plants, averaging 8.1% taller than other treatments. In autumn, M₃ produced the highest fresh ear weight (17.81 Mg ha⁻¹) and grain yield (10.95 Mg ha⁻¹), with the highest water use efficiency (WUE) of 2.05 and 1.78 kg m⁻³ in 2019 and 2020, respectively. In spring, M₂ yielded the highest fresh ear weight (20.75 Mg ha⁻¹) and grain yield (14.52 Mg ha⁻¹), with WUE values of 2.67 and 2.03 kg m⁻³ over two years. Grain protein content exhibited a negative correlation with grain yield, reaching a maximum of 12.2% in the M₄ across both seasons. In contrast, the highest grain oil content was recorded in M₃ during the autumn season and in M₁ during the spring season, with an average value of 4.44%. Results indicate that planting pattern significantly influences maize productivity and resource use under drip irrigation. For optimal yield and WUE, a 105 cm bed width is recommended for autumn maize and 90 cm for spring maize under drip irrigation.