EFFECT OF IRRIGATION ON GROWTH, YIELD AND EVAPOTRANSPIRATION OF MUSTARD (BRASSICA-JUNCEA) IN PARTIALLY RECLAIMED SODIC SOILS

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of irrigation sch eduling of mustard (Brassica juncea L.) at Karnal, India, during 1987- 88 and 1988-89 in partially reclaimed sodic soil with pH 8.8 and excha ngeable sodium percent (ESP) 23. One irrigation at rosette stage (28-3 0 days after sowing) gave significantly greater relative growth rate ( RGR), branches and pods/plant, seed and straw yields as compared to on e irrigation at pod formation stage and unirrigated treatments. Most o f the evapotranspiration (ET) of crop occurred from the 0-15 cm soil l ayer. The total amount of ET of crop from all the layers was always gr eatest under higher irrigation frequency. Maximum water use efficiency (WUE) was recorded when one irrigation was given at rosette as compar ed with other treatments. The ET of crop increased as the crop season advanced and reached its peak from 30-60 days after sowing (DAS).