Evapotranspiration and yield of okra as affected by partial root-zone furrow irrigation

Partial root-zone drying or partial root-zone irrigation is a newly proposed water saving technique which may improve water use efficiency and nutrient uptake by a crop without affecting its yield. A study was conducted to investigate the response of furrow-irrigated okra to partial root zone drying in relation to cropevapotranspiration (ETc), vegetative growth, yield, and nutrient use efficiency in a sandy loam soil. The experiment was conducted during December-March with three furrow irrigation strategies: alternate partial root-zone irrigation (APRI), fixed partial root-zone irrigation (FPRI), and full root-zone irrigation (FRI). Two levels of irrigation: 25% available soil moisture depletion (ASMD) and 50% ASMD were imposed under each furrow treatment. The plant vegetative growth was significantly (P