Response of grain amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) to irrigation schedules under sprinkler irrigation

A field experiment was conducted during winter (rabi) seasons of 2019–20 and 2020–21 at the Centre for Crop Improvement, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Banaskantha, Gujarat to study the response of grain amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacs L.) to irrigation schedules under sprinkler irrigation system. The experiment was conducted in a randomised block design (RBD) comprised of 6 irrigation treatments, viz. I0 , Surface irrigation; I1 , Control (only pre-sowing irrigation); I2 , Sprinkler irrigation at 0.2 IW: CPE; I3 , Sprinkler irrigation at 0.4 IW: CPE; I4 ,Sprinkler irrigation at 0.6 IW: CPE; and I5 ,Sprinkler irrigation at 0.8 IW:CPE with 4 replications. The results revealed that application of irrigation at IW: CPE ratio of 0.8 had significant effect on plant height, inflorescence length (83.4 cm), grain yield (1,625 kg/ha) and straw yield (7,497 kg/ha) compared with control treatment (surface irrigation). Treatment 0.8 IW: CPE resulted in the 28.15% higher grain yield than the control. The highest water-use efficiency (WUE) (12.8 kg/ha-mm) was achieved by the treatment I1 (only pre-sowing irrigation). Consumptive use (mm) was found increased with increase in irrigation scheduling from I0 to I5 . The highest consumptive use of 179.3 mm was recorded under the treatment of 0.8 IW: CPE ratio. Irrigation at 0.8 IW: CPE ratio fetched highest net returns of `54,701/ha, with benefit: cost (B:C) ratio 3.06 during both the years in pooled analysis.