EFFECT OF ALKALI IRRIGATION WATER ON YIELD & OIL PRODUCTION OF SUNFLOWER IN SEMI-ARID AREAS

A field experiment was conducted at saline water project research farm RBS College, Bichpuri, Agra during the year 2004 to 2009(Six years). The results showed that germination and yield attributing characters i.e. diamete of head (cm), No. of grain per head, seed yield per head (gm) and weight of 1000 seeds (gm) in Sunflower were found higher in canal water irrigation and significantly lower in alkali water irrigation. Similarly, grain yield of sunflower was significantly higher in canal water irrigation (13.2 q/ha) and lowest in alkali water irrigation (1.6 q/ha). Treatments two year canal water : one year alkali water and mixing (2 CW + 1 AW) was statistically superior to rest other treatments. The oil content and oil yield were significantly higher in canal water irrigation (42.1% and 554.9 Kg/ha) and lowest (37.3% and 58.0 Kg/ha) in alkali water irrigation. Amongest other treatments, mixing (2 CW + 1 AW) (40.7% and 420.0 Kg/ha), potato with alkai water : sunflower with canal water (39.8% and 314.8 Kg/ha), One year canal : Two year alkali (39.9% and 314.8 Kg/ha) and Two year canal : One year alkali (39.9% and 383.0 Kg/ha) were significantly higher than rest of the treatments.