Integrated Effect of Deficit Irrigation and Sowing Methods on Weed Dynamics and System Productivity of Maize–Cowpea Sequence on Vertisols

The aim of this study was to explore the effect sowing methods and deficit irrigation on weed dynamics, yield water-use efficiency (WUE) maize–cowpea system during summer monsoon seasons, respectively. field experiment carried out for two years (2015 2016) using a split design with three replicates under irrigated (maize) rainfed (cowpea) conditions vertisols semi-arid region. Treatments included [i.e., broad bed furrow (BBF), corrugated (CF) ridges (RF)] four levels once in 10 days (I10D), at 40% (I40), 50% (I50) 60% (I60) depletion]. results indicated that, regardless flora (monocots, dicots sedges), RF method produced higher density (2.09–2.98 No. m−2) compared CF (2.00–2.80 BBF (1.85–2.64 maize 30 60 after (DAS). I40 I50 recorded significantly density, followed by method. A similar trend also observed dry weight weeds (monocot; 24.19%, dicot; 25.52%, sedges; 29.80%) DAS. Higher due soil moisture availability nutrient uptake larger lateral wetting greater water use (29.27%). However, favoured growth (9.33–16.60%) cowpea 55 DAS coped rain-fed situation over RF. moderate depletion equivalent (MEY) (10,000 kg ha−1) considerable reduction total usage (19.33%). Therefore, scarcity situation, growers can practice WUE sequence cropping.