Different indices to characterize water use pattern of micro-sprinkler irrigated onion (Allium cepa L.)

The amount of water used by any crop largely depends on the extent to which the soil water depletion from the root zone is being recharged by appropriate depth of irrigation. To test this hypothesis a field study was carried out in November–March of 2002–2003 and 2003–2004 on a sandy loam (Aeric haplaquept) to quantify the effect of depth of irrigation applied through micro-sprinklers on onion (Allium cepa L.) bulb yield (BY) and water use patterns. Seven irrigation treatments consisted of six amounts of sprinkler applied water relative to compensate crop (Kc) and pan (Kp) coefficient-based predicted evapotranspiration loss from crop field (ETp) (i) 160% of ETp (1.6ETp); (ii) 1.4ETp; (iii) 1.2ETp; (iv) 1.0ETp; (v) 0.8ETp; (vi) 0.6ETp; (vii) 40 mm of surface applied water whenever cumulative pan evaporation equals to 33 mm. Water use efficiency (WUE), net evapotranspiration efficiency (WUEET) and irrigation water use efficiency (WUEI) were computed. Marginal water use efficiency (MWUE) and elasticity of water productivity (EWP) of onion were calculated using the relationship between BY and measured actual evapotranspiration (ETc). Yield increased with increasing sprinkler-applied water from 0.6 to 1.4ETp. Relative to the yield obtained at 0.6ETp, yield at 1.0ETp increased by 23–25% while at 1.4ETp it was only 3–9% greater than that at 1.0ETp. In contrast, yield at 1.6ETp was 9–12% less than that at 1.4ETp. Maximum WUE (7.21 kg m−3) and WUEET (13.87 kg m−3) were obtained under 1.0ETp. However, the highest WUEI (3.83 kg m−3) was obtained with 1.2ETp. The ETc associated with the highest WUE was 20% less than that required to obtain the highest yields. This study confirmed that critical levels of ETc needed to obtain maximum BYs, or WUE, could be obtained more precisely from the knowledge of MWUE and EWP.