Enhancing spring season maize (Zea mays) productivity through ridge-furrow reversal technique

Abstract

Worldwide climate change and declining availability of water has led to increasing abiotic stress in crop production. Higher input use efficiency is crucial for obtaining optimal growth and yield of a crop and for that moisture content of the root zone is the key to accelerate utilization of other inputs. One of the ways to ensure higher water use efficiency is applying water directly into the root
zone, thereby curtailing unproductive losses and ensuring access of water to the plant for longer time. During dry season, sowing a crop in the furrow is able to utilize the moisture available in the deeper soil layer for germination purpose. When irrigation is applied directly into the furrows, it concentrates directly in the root zone. In addition, earthing, a process of mounding soil around the plant base, provides better physical support as well as anchorage to the roots. By removing soil from the ridges and placing along the stems of the furrow sown maize crop, gets benefited from high volume of soil around the stems and reduces the incidence of lodging.