Effect of Partial Root Zone Drying on Water Consumption and Water Use Efficiency of Sweet Corn Under Two Drip Irrigation types in Gypsiferous Soil

• Alaa S. Saadi1, Awss M. Khairo1

  Author

A field experiment was conducted during the autumn season of 2025 at the Research Station of the Department of Soil and Water Resources Sciences / College of Agriculture / Tikrit University, to study the effect of partial root‑zone drying (PRD) under two drip irrigation types (GR and T‑Tape) on soil moisture content, crop water consumption (ETc), and water use efficiency (WUE) for Sweet Corn (Zea mays L. var. saccharata) that grown in a gypsiferous soil. The experiment was implemented by using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) in a factorial arrangement, comprising three irrigation regimes (full irrigation, alternate partial root‑zone drying, and fixed partial root‑zone drying) and two drip irrigation types, with three replications. The results showed that soil moisture content was concentrated near the dripper and in the surface layers, then gradually decreased with increasing depth and with distance from the water source. The full irrigation treatment achieved the highest moisture content and the widest wetting front, whereas fixed partial root‑zone drying recorded the lowest moisture content, while alternate partial root‑zone drying maintained a balanced moisture distribution within the root zone. The results indicated that the highest crop water consumption was recorded under the full irrigation treatment, reaching 703 mm in the GR type and 667 mm in the T‑Tape type . In contrast, the partial root‑zone drying treatments reduced water consumption and achieved irrigation water savings ranging from 33.71% to 39.54% compared to full irrigation.  Furthermore, the partial root‑zone drying treatments were superior in water use efficiency, with alternate partial root‑zone drying attaining the highest average WUE of 1.287 kg m⁻³. The GR type significantly outperformed the T‑Tape type, and the interaction between the GR type and alternate partial root‑zone drying recorded the highest WUE at 1.332 kg m⁻³. The study findings confirm that the application of alternate partial root‑zone drying combined with the GR type constitutes an effective strategy for improving moisture distribution within the root zone , thereby promoting sustainable management of water resources in gypsiferous soils.

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