The objective of this research is to study the growth ability of sweet waxy corn plants by comparing planting methods between drip irrigation using solar-powered water pump and farmers’ traditional irrigation system using a water hose for sprinkling by which farmers need electricity for increasing pressure. The experiment was conducted in the farmer’s planting plot equipped with the solar-powered pumping system pumping the water from the surface water source to be stored in the tower tank in Khon Kaen Province where totally 7,200 sweet waxy corn plants were grown. The researcher collected the data to compare the growth ability of corn plants, such as amount of water for corn plants, the yield of fresh corns, and the efficiency in the use of irrigation water. The results showed that the comparisons of growth ability by pulling the whole plant between drip irrigation and sprinkling irrigation at 16, 24, 37 and 59 days old showed the average root lengths of corns growing by the drip irrigation method were higher at 32, 40, 32 and 5 percent, respectively. The average plant height of 200 plants in the experimental plot by random at 37, 52 and 59 days old showed the average plant heights of corns growing by the drip irrigation method were higher at 32 , 64 and 53 percent, respectively. The result of fresh corn harvested at 73 days old was also found that the yield from the drip irrigation method was 20 percent higher than the yield from the sprinkling irrigation method. The water used for drip irrigation and sprinkling irrigation for corn plants throughout the growing period was greater than the amount of water required by corn plants at 1.25 times and 3.55 times, respectively. Additionally, in terms of the efficiency in the use of irrigation water on corn plants between drip irrigation and sprinkling irrigation methods, the total yields were 2.62 and 0.74 kilograms, respectively, when using the water for irrigation at 1 cubic meter per 1600 square meters.
Keywords
Consistency of Drip Irrigation, Solar Power; Growth of Corn Plants; Irrigation by Tower Tank and Drip Irrigation
THE JOURNAL OF KMUTNB
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