The Effect of Nanostructured Silica Aerogel on Water Use Efficiency of Corn under Deficit Irrigation Conditions

Subject Areas : Water and Environment

Hamideh Asvadi ¹ , Fayaz Aghayari ² , Leyla Samiee ³

1 - M.Sc., Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran
2 - Assistant Professor, Water Engineering, Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran*(Corresponding author)
3 - Assistant Professor, Development and Optimization Energy Technology Research Division, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI), Tehran, Iran

Received: 2016-04-29 Accepted : 2016-10-25 Published : 2018-06-22

Keywords: Drought, management of water consumption, Productivity, superabsorbent,

Abstract :

Introduction : To study the effect of nanostructured silica aerogel as a soil moisture absorbent on yield and water use efficiency of corn and comparison with superabsorbent, a field experiment was carried out in factorial split plot arrangement using randomized complete block design with four replications at Research Farm of Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran, in 2013-2014 growing year. Material and Methods: Deficit irrigation with three levels including irrigation with 100, 75 and 50 percent crop water requirement that were located in the main plots and moisture absorbent materials with three levels including non-use absorbent material, used of superabsorbent (30 kg/ha) and used of silica aerogel (5 kg/ha) that were located in the sub plots.Results: The results showed that the highest grain yield (12684 kg/ha) was achieved in condition of irrigation with 100% crop water requirement and used of silica aerogel. The sue of superabsorbent and silica aerogel increased grain yield. While in condition of irrigation with 100% crop water requirement silica aerogel consumption as compared to superabsorbent to increase grain yield was a significant advantage, but in condition of irrigation with 75 and 50% crop water requirement silica aerogel and superabsorbent were in a statistical group. The use of superabsorbent and silica aerogel increased water use efficiency for grain yield (116.2 and 154.1 percent, respectively) and water use efficiency for biologic yield (38.4 and 85.9 percent, respectively) as compared with non-use.Conclusion: Therefore, application of nanostructured silica aerogel is recommended for increasing of yield and water use efficiency of corn.

References:

1. Ober, E.S., Bloa, M., Clark, C.J.A., Royal, A., Jaggard, K.W., Pidgeon, K.D., 2005. Evaluation of physiological traits as indirect selection criteria for drought tolerance in Sugar beet. Field Crops Res. 91,231-249.


2. English, M.J., Musick, I.J., Murty, V.V., 1990. Deficit irrigation, Journal of farm irrigation system, ASAE, 12(3),222-230.


3. Widiastuti, N., Wu, H., Ang, M., Zhang, D.K., 2008. The potential application of natural zeolite for grey water treatment. Desalination. 218,271-280.


4. Nazarli, H., Zardashti, M.R., Darvishzadeh, R., Najafi, S., 2010. The effect of water stress and polymer on water use efficiency, yield and several morphological traits of sunflower. Not Sci. Biol. 2(4),53-58.


5. Yazdani, F., Allahdadi, I., Akbari, G.A., Behbahani, M.R., 2007. Effect of different rates of superabsorbent polymer (Tarawat A200) on soybean yield and yield components (Glycine max L.). Pajouhesh & Sazandegi. 75,167-174. (In Persian)


6. Al-harbi, A.R., Al-omran, A.M., Shalaby, A.A., Choudhary, M.I., 1999. Efficacy of a hydrophilic polymer declines with time in greenhouse experiments. Hort. Sci. 34,223-224.


7. Moslemi, Z., Habibi, D., Asgharzadeh, H., Ardakani, M.R., Mohammadi, A., Sakari, A., 2012. Effects of super absorbent polymer and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria on yield and yield components of maize under drought stress and normal conditions. American-Eurasian J. Agric. Environ. Sci. 12,358-364.


8. Robiul Islam, M.R., Hu, Y., Mao, S., Jia, P., Eneji, A.E., Xue, X., 2011. Effects of water-saving superabsorbent polymer on antioxidant enzyme activities and Lipid peroxidation in corn (zea max L.) under drought stress. J. Sci. Food Agric. 91,813-819.


9. Bessembinder, J.J.E., Leffelaar, P.A., Dhindwal, A.S. Ponsioen, T.C., 2005. Which crop and which drop, and the scope for improvement of water Productivity. Agricultural Water Management. 73(2),113-130.


10. Seckler, D., Molden, D., Barker, R., 1999. Water Scarcity in the Twenty first century. Water Brief 1. IWMI. Colombo Sri Lanka.


11.  Sajadi, S.S., 2014. Aerogel and their various applications. First Edition, Tehran, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry, pp.370. (In Persian)


12.  Asvadi, H., Aghayari, F., Samiei, L., 2014. The effect of nanostructured silica aerogel on soil water retention. First national congress on Iran’s Irrigation & Drainage. Firdausi-Mashhad University. (In Persian)


13.  Hafez Khiyabani, N., Sahba Yaghmaei, M., Shokri, B., Rahimipour, M.R., 2008. Silica aerogel, nanometer porosity and its applications in petrochemical industry. First Iranian petrochemical conference. (In Persian) 
    
    
    1. Yazar, A., Gokcel, F. Sezen, M.S., 2009. Corn yield response to partial root zone drying and deficit irrigation strategies applied with drip system. Plant and soil environ. 55 (11),494–503.
    
    
    2. Hosseini, N.M., Palta, J.A., Berger, J.D. Siddique, K.H., 2009. Sowing soil water content effects on chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.): Seedling emergence and early growth interaction with genotype and seed size. Agric. Water Manage. 96,1732-1736.
    
    
    3.  Yazdani, F., Allahdadi, I., Akbari, G.A., Shorafa, M., 2005. The Effect of application of Super-Adsorbent hydrogels to reduce drought stress in Soybean. Tehran, The 9^th Iranian Soil Science Congress. (In Persian)
    
    
    4.  Kohestani, SH., Asgari, N., Maghsodi, K., 2009. The effect of superabsorbent hydrogels on corn yield under drought stress conditions.  Iranian Journal of Water Researches. 3(5), 71-78. (In Persian)
    
    
    5. Moazen Ghamsari, B., Akbari, G.A., Zohoriyan, M.J., Nik Niyaei, A.B., 2009. Evaluation of yield and growth indexes of forage corn under the influence of application of different amounts of superabsorbent polymer under drought stress conditions. Iranian Journal of Crop Science. 40(3),1-8. (In Persian)
    
    
    6. Reminson, S.U., Lucas, E.O., 1982. Effects of planting density on leaf area and Productivity of two maize cultivars in Nigeria.  Exp. Agric. 18,93-100.
    
    
    7. Debaeke, P., Aboudrare, A., 2004. Adaptation of Crop management to water-limited environment. European Journal of Agronomy 21,433-4460
    
    
    8. Karimi, A., 2005. Driving water-nitrogen production function in irrigation fertilizer system. PhD thesis in Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Tehran University, pp. 170. (In Persian)
    
    
    9. Rahimiyan, M.H., Hoseini Rad, A., 2007. Effects of application of two types of superabsorbent polymers in soil on irrigation water consumption and tomato yield. The 9th National Seminar on Irrigation and Reduction of Evaporation. Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman. (In Persian)
    
    
    10. Boz, B., 2001. Validation of the Ceres-Maize Growth Model under Cukurova region conditions, Department of Agricultural Structures and Irrigation, Institute of Natural and Applied Sciences, Cukurova University, MSc Thesis, 59, Adana.
    
    
    11. Pandey, R. K., Marienmille, J.W., Adum, A., 2000. Deficit irrigation and nitrogen effect on maize in a sahelian environment. I. Grain yield components. agric. water Manag. 46,1-13.
    
    
    12. Gifford, R.M., Evans, L.T., 1981. Photosynthesis, carbon partitioning, and yield. Annu. Rev. Plant physiol. 32,485-509.
    
    
    13. Denmead, O. T., Shaw, R.H., 1960. The effects of soil moisture stress at different stages of growth on the development and yield of corn. Agron. J. 52, 272-274.
    
    
    14. Setter, T.L., 1990. Transport / harvest index: Photosynthetic Partitioning in stressed plants. PP. 17-36. Stress Responses in plant: Adaptation and Accumulaion Mechanism Wiley- Liss Inc., New York.
    
    
    15. Sajedi, N.A., Sajedi, A., 2009. Effect of drought stress, mycorrhiza and zinc rates on agro-physiologic characteristics of maize cv. KSC704. Iranian Journal of Crop Sciences. 11 (3), 202-222. (In Persian)
    
    
    16. Montazer, A.A., 2008. Study the effect of stockosorb super absorption polymer on the flow advance time and infiltration parameters in furrow irrigation. Journal of Soil and Water. 22(2),341-356. (In Persian)
    
    
    17. El-Hady, O A., Wanas., Sh.A., 2006. Water and fertilizer use efficiency by Cucumber grown under stress on sandy soil treated with acrylamide hydrogels. J. App. Sci. Res. 2 (12),1293-1297.
    
    
    18. Zhang, Y.E., Kendy, Y., Qiang. L., Changmin, S., Hongyong, S., 2004. Effect of soil water deficit on evapotranspiration crop yield and water use efficiency in the north china plain. Agric. water manag. 64(2),107-122.
    
    
    19. Karimi, M., Esfahani, M., Beigloei, M.H., Rabiei, B., Kafi Ghasemi, A., 2009. Effect of deficit irrigation treatments on morphological traits and growth indices of corn forage in the Rasht Climate. Journal of Crop Production, 2(2),91-110. (In Persian)
    
    
    20. Hady, O.A., Wanas, Sh.A., 2006. Water and fertilizer use efficiency by cucumber grown under stress on sandy soil treated with acrylamide hydrogels. J. App. Sci. Res. 2(12),1293-1297.