Journal of Crops Improvement

Journal of Crops Improvement

Effect of different irrigation regimes and zeolit super absorbent on the yield and yield components of forage sorghum

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
alireza torabi 1
Hassan Farahbakhsh 2
gholam reza khajoienejad 3
1 M.Sc. Student of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran.
2 Associate Professor of Agronomy & Crop Breeding Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
3 Assistant Professor of Agronomy & Crop Breeding Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
10.22059/jci.2013.36382
Abstract
In order to investigate the effects of different irrigation regimes and zeolit on the yield, yield components
and relative leaf water content of sorghum, a field experiment was conducted in split plot in time and
space based on randomized complete block design with three replicates in research station of Shahid
Bahonar University of Kerman in 2011. Irrigation regimes (100, 80, 60 and 40% of field capacity) and
different amounts of zeolite (control, 150 and 300 kg ha-1) were arranged as main and sub plots,
respectively. Irrigation regimes showed significant effect on all traits (fresh weight, dry mater, height,
relative water content etc.) except stem node number. Meantime, all the traits except stem height, relative
water content and the crop growth rate at the first and fourth stage of sampling affected by super
absorbent so that the highest amount of the measured traits were recorded for 300 kg ha-1 super absorbent.
Interaction effect of the irrigation water × SAP × harvest was significant for fresh weight. The highest
FW in second harvest belonged to I100 × 300 kg ha-1 SAP. At the end, it can be concluded that application
of 300 kg ha-1 super absorbent in irrigation levels lower than field capacity will result in 20% increase in
yield.
Keywords
Crop growth rate
Drought stress
relative water content
Sorghum
Zeolit