Importance of water management in agronomic cereal crop

Growing of cereals and vegetables without proper water management doesn’t give good output to the producer. Both excess of water and scarcity of water are harmful for crop production.Thus, adequate amount of water should be provided to the crop in right time with proper water management system to achieve desirable production of the crop.

Role of water for growth and development of crop

1. As we know, water is a universal solvent, it helps to dissolve the applied nutrients thereby plant uptakes these dissolved nutrients easily.

2.Water is very much essential for maintaining turgor pressure and transpiration.

3.Water helps in the conversion of starch into sugar by hydraulic process.

4.Water plays an important role in photosynthesis.Thus, plants can made their food itself.

5. It also plays good role for multiplication of soil microorganisms which are beneficial to the plant.

6.Water is the most important for seed germination. It provides dissolved oxygen for growing embryo, soften seed coat and increases the seed permeability.

7.Water helps to regulate the temperature of plant

8.Flooding of field with water helps to eradicate soil borne pests like mouse.

9.Good water level within the rice field also control the weed development.

Most water requiring stage of cereal crop

Crops requires adequate amount of water at different stages of their development necessarily which are known as critical water requiring satges.If we don’t provide water in sufficient amount at critical condition, crop yield will drastically reduce.Thus, good water management is essential for crop production. Some most important cereal crops with critical water requiring conditions are described below.

A.Rice

Rice crop requires regular supply of water for their development.Water logged conditions is stopped before 7-10 days of harvesting.The most critical conditions for water are tillering stages, flowering stages and grain filling stage.

B.Wheat

In comparison to rice, wheat requires less amount of water than rice.The most water requiring stages are;

Crown root initiation stage(21 DAS)
Late tillering stage(42 DAS)
Late joining stage(60 DAS)
Flowering stage(80 DAS)
Milk stage(95 DAS)
Ripening stage(115 DAS)

Water stress in wheat causes decrease in plant height,spike length,spikelets per spike and grains per spike.

C.Maize

Critical water requiring stages of maize are;

Seedling stage
Knee high stage
Tasseling stage
Silking stage
Grain filling stage

Scarcity of moisture at early growth stage results in delayed tasseling and silking by 3-5 days and 5-8 days respectively.

Similarly, scarcity of moisture at later stage results in reduction in yield.

How to manage moisture in cereal crop field ?

Crop field may have problem of scarcity of water or drought. We have to manage both types of problem.

If the field is in drought condition

1.Store water by making water tank and utilize it accordingly.

2.Bund preparation in rice field helps to check the loss of water.

3.Addition of organic matter to field increases water holding capacity of soil.Thus, water leaching problem will be solved.

4.Conservation and Zero tillage operations can followed for maize crop production.

5.Conservation of rain water and apply in the field when necessary.

6.Mulching of maize crop and growing wider leaf crop like pumpkin as intercrop with maize also helps to control the loss of moisture by evaporation.

7.Growing of drought tolerant variety like; sukhadhan variety series of rice may be the best option for dry area.

8. Proper utilization of river water can be done by using generator. In hilly region, it is most suitable to transport water from river to the field of farmers.

9.Weed may compete with main crop for water and nutrients. So, weeding operations should be done time to time.

If the field has excess of water;

1.Proper drainage system should be maintained within the field.

2.Planting maize in the ridge by making the field ridge and furrow.

3.Plant those variety which can tolerate water logged conditions.

4.Excess water can be stored by making pond and it can be used when water is deficit.