Register      Login
Animal Production Science Animal Production Science Society
Food, fibre and pharmaceuticals from animals
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > AN > EA06094
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 48(3)

On-farm measurement of the water use and productivity of maize

K. L. Greenwood A B , G. N. Mundy A and K. B. Kelly A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Primary Industries, 120 Cooma Road, Kyabram, Vic. 3620, Australia.

B Corresponding author. Email: kerry.greenwood@dpi.vic.gov.au

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48(3) 274-284 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA06094
Submitted: 15 March 2006  Accepted: 6 October 2006   Published: 4 February 2008

Abstract

Maize, as a C4 species, is likely to use water more productively than the perennial ryegrass and white clover pastures typically grown for dairy cows in northern Victoria. However, only estimates of water use by irrigated maize crops are available for this region. We measured the growth and water use of three commercial maize crops used for silage in northern Victoria. Crops under centre pivot irrigation were monitored in 2003–04 (Spray 1) and 2004–05 (Spray 2). A border-check irrigated crop (Border-check) was monitored in 2004–05. The Spray 1 crop was irrigated 30 times and received 782 mm of rainfall and irrigation. The crop yielded 22 t DM/ha, giving a water productivity of 28 kg DM/ha.mm (including irrigation, rainfall and change in soil water content). In the cooler, wetter summer of 2004–05, the water productivity was 34 kg DM/ha.mm for the Spray 2 crop and 30 kg DM/ha.mm for the Border-check crop. Crop evapotranspiration was estimated from weather data and a daily soil water balance was computed according to FAO 56. The estimated and measured changes in soil water content were in good agreement and indicated that the basal crop coefficients in the model (Kcb = 1.15 during the mid-season, before correction for non-standard humidity and wind speed) were appropriate to local conditions. Maize grown for silage in northern Victoria has higher water productivity than pastures. However, high yields are required to make it economically viable compared with alternative forages for dairy cows. These data will assist dairy farmers to select the optimum forage mix for their enterprises.

Additional keywords: water use efficiency.


Acknowledgements

Financial support was provided by the Victorian Department of Primary Industries and Dairy Australia, through Murray Dairy. We thank Rob Reid and Ian Hamono for their helpful cooperation, and for allowing us to monitor their crops. We thank Mark Wood and Tony Cook for providing additional data on soil water content and water application for the Spray 1 crop; and Mark Pickles and Leon Tepper for their expertise and cooperation in the prompt acquisition and installation of the flow monitoring equipment at the Border-check site. We also thank Stuart Austin, Daryl Wilson, Richard Dabrowski and Graeme Phyland who provided technical assistance during the monitoring of the crops. We are grateful to Richard Allen for his helpful advice on modelling the water balance using FAO-56.


References


Allen RG (2000) Using the FAO-56 dual crop coefficient method over an irrigated region as part of an evapotranspiration intercomparison study. Journal of Hydrology 229, 27–41.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Allen RG, Pereira LS, Raes D, Smith M (1998) Crop evapotranspiration: guidelines for computing crop water requirements. FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper No. 56. FAO, Rome.

Begg JE, Turner NC (1976) Crop water deficits. Advances in Agronomy 28, 161–217.
|  CAS |
open url image1

Davies L, Griffiths N, Pope L (2002) Comparing feed options in the 2002 drought – maize silage is often cheaper. Agnote DAI 285. NSW Agriculture, Dubbo.

Edraki M, Humphreys E, O’Connell N, Smith DJ (2003) Determination of irrigation efficiency and deep drainage for irrigated maize with a shallow watertable. CSIRO Land and Water Technical Report 30/03. CSIRO Land and Water, Griffith, NSW.

Greacen EL (Ed.) (1981) ‘Soil water assessment by the neutron method.’ (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne)

Greenwood K (2003) Opportunities to improve the water use efficiency of irrigated forages for dairying in northern Victoria: a review. Final report to DRDC on DAV 11176. Department of Primary Industries, Kyabram, Vic.

Hodges T, Evans DW (1992) Leaf emergence and leaf duration related to thermal time calculations in CERES-Maize. Agronomy Journal 84, 724–730. open url image1

Isbell RF (1996) ‘The Australian soil classification.’ (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne)

Lawson A, Greenwood K, Kelly K (2006) Comparative water use productivity of forages for the dairy industry in northern Victoria. In ‘Ground breaking stuff. Proceedings of the 13th Australian Society of Agronomy conference’. (Eds NC Turner, T Acuna, RC Johnson) (Australian Society of Agronomy: Perth)

Mason WK, Pritchard KE, Small DR (1987) Effects of early season waterlogging on maize growth and yield. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 38, 27–35.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Meyer WS (2005) The irrigation industry in the Murray and Murrumbidgee basins. CRC for Irrigation Futures Technical Report No. 03/05. CSIRO

Moran JB, Kaiser A, Stockdale CR (1990) The role of maize silage in milk and meat production from grazing cattle in Australia. Outlook on Agriculture 19, 171–177. open url image1

Mundy GN, Greenwood KL, Kelly KB, Austin SM, Dellow KE (2006) Improved soil and irrigation management for forage production. 3. Plant–soil–water relationships. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 46, 327–335.
| Crossref |
open url image1

Prebble RE, Forrest JA, Honeysett JL, Hughes MW, McIntyre DS, Schrale G (1981) Field installation and maintenance. In ‘Soil water assessment by the neutron method’. (Ed. EL Greacen) pp. 82–98. (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne)

Pritchard K (1995) Irrigated summer fodder crops. 4. Maize. Agriculture Notes AG0229. Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Kyabram, Vic.

Pritchard KE, Mason WK, Stockdale CR, Moran JB (1989) Integrating forage maize with pasture legumes for efficient dairy production in south-eastern Australia. In ‘Proceedings of the XVI international grassland congress’. pp. 1143–1144. (Association Francaise pour la Production Fourragere: Versailles)

Research Services New England (1998) ‘Probe for Windows: irrigation scheduling and crop management. User guide.’ (Research Services New England: Balmain)

Skene JKM, Poutsma TJ (1962) Soils and land use in part of the Goulburn Valley, Victoria. Technical Bulletin No. 14. Department of Agriculture, Vic.

Stace HCT, Hubble GD, Brewer R, Northcote KH, Sleeman JR, Mulcahy MJ, Hallsworth EG (1968) ‘A handbook of Australian soils.’ (Rellim Technical Publications: Glenside, SA)

Stanhill G (1986) Water use efficiency. Advances in Agronomy 39, 53–85. open url image1

Stockdale CR, Beavis GW (1994) Nutritional evaluation of whole plant maize ensiled at three chop lengths and fed to lactating dairy cows. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 34, 709–716.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1