Effect of Different Management Strategies in Use of Saline Water on Maize Yield and Water Productivity in Drip Irrigation Method

The shortage of water resources with high quality is becoming an important issue in the arid and semi-arid regions. For this reason the availability of marginal quality resources such as drainage water، saline water and treated wastewater has become an important consideration. Irrigation methods with high efficiency such as drip irrigation are suitable solutions for the optimal use of these resources. This study was carried out to investigate the effects of drip irrigation management strategies with saline water on maize yield and irrigation water productivity. The experiment was performed at split plots based on randomized complete block design. The effects of three irrigation management options; mixing، one-alternate and half-alternate of three levels of saline water (4، 5 and 6 ds/m) with Karoun river on maize yield، biomass and irrigation water productivity were investigated. These parameters were measured at the end of the growing season. The results showed that the effects of management and salinity on all indices were significant in level of one percent. Investigation on interaction effects of salinity and irrigation management showed that in half- alternate yield and irrigation water productivity were not significant even in water salinity of 6 ds/m، whereas in one-alternate strategy this decrease by application of water with salinity of 5 and 6 ds/m was significant. The yield reductions per unit increase of irrigation water salinity in mixing، one-alternate and half-alternate management strategies were calculated 3. 6، 7. 2 and 1. 7 percent، respectively.