Response of summer pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) to irrigation scheduling

The field experiment was conducted on a medium black soil of Main Pearl millet Research Station, JAU, Jamnagar during three consecutive summer seasons (2004-06). The experiment was conducted in split plot design with two depths of irrigation water i. e. 40 and 60 mm as main plot treatment and four different irrigation intervals i. e. irrigation at 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00 IW : CPE ratios and irrigation at critical growth stages as sub-plot treatments replicated thrice. Grain and fodder yields of pearl millet were significantly affected due to different depths of irrigation and different irrigation intervals. Application of irrigation at 40 mm depth gave higher grain and fodder yield over 60 mm by 25 and 21%, respectively, than 60 mm depth. Similarly, highest net return (Rs. 19776/ ha) and B : C ratio (2.33) were obtained with irrigating pearl millet at 40 mm depth. An increase in IW : CPE ratio from 0.50 to 1.00 favourably influenced almost all the growth attributes. Scheduling irrigation at 1.00 IW : CPE ratio outyielded the rest of the treatments by recording significantly higher grain (3904 kg/ha) and fodder yield (6325 kg/ha) and fodder yield was at par with irrigating the crop at 0.75 IW : CPE ratio (5845 kg/ha). Net return of different treatments clearly indicated that IW : CPE ratio of 0.75 with 11 irrigations at 7-8 days interval gave the highest profit (Rs. 15153/ha) as compared to other ratios and also higher benefit : cost ratio of 1.32.