Investigating Water Use Efficiency, Energy Productivity, Economic and Yield under Different Wheat-Maize Cropping System in the North of Khuzestan Province

In this study, effects of residue management, irrigation methods, tillage systems and planting methods on some important aspects of common wheat-maize rotation in Khuzestan province was investigated.  

The experiment was conducted as strip-block split factorial on randomized complete blocks design with three replications. Residue management considered as main plots, irrigation methods as subplots and factorial combination of tillage systems and planting methods as sub subplots.  

Retaining residue on surface in flood and drip tape irrigation systems increased maize harvested about 0.4 and 0.18 kg per each m3 of applied water, respectively. In conservation tillage practices, reduced tillage and no-tillage with residue on surface had no significant effects on wheat and maize yields compared to conventional tillage, but improved water use efficiency, energy productivity and economic indices. The highest benefit to cost ratio (BCR) was obtained as 1.72 from drip tape irrigation-with total residue-conventional tillage- ridge bed planting treatment. The lowest input energy (76635 MJ.ha-1) and the highest energy productivity (0.210 kg.MJ-1) was belonged to drip tape irrigation-with total residue-no tillage- ridge bed planting treatment, Also BCR in this conservation system was obtained 1.62.  

Moving towards adoption  of agricultural conservation techniques such as retain residue, reduce tillage, planting on permanent ridge bed and use high efficiency irrigation methods would result in a sustainable production. According to the results of this research, the use of conservation tillage systems are recommended.