Journal of Agronomy and Field Innovations

Background: Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an essential oilseed crop worldwide; however, traditional furrow irrigation is water-consuming and less feasible in light of increasing water scarcity in dry and semi-dry land areas.
Objective: The impact of alternate furrow irrigation on sunflower’s growth and seed production as well as water use efficiency was investigated in this study by comparison with traditional furrow irrigation and fixed furrow irrigation.
Methods: In a field study, three irrigation methods were compared according to randomized design with three replications. Thus, plant height, leaf area, yield, water consumption, and water use efficiency using Fisher’s analysis at p≤0.05.
Results: AFI method helped to reduce water consumption by about 35% compared to CFI method, while seed yield experienced only slightly lower reduction. As a result, water use efficiency in AFI method was higher than in both traditional furrow irrigation and fixed furrow irrigation methods.
Conclusion: The alternate furrow irrigation (AFI) provides a simple, low-cost way for conserving irrigation resources and increasing the water efficiency of sunflower production while achieving reasonable levels of yield, thus advocating for its application in sustainable agriculture in water-stressed areas.