Water Use Efficiency of Barley, Wheat and Millet Affected by Groundwater Table under Lysimeter

This experiment was conducted to evaluate water use efficiency of barley, wheat, and millet as a substitution crop for rice of fallow paddy field. Dry weight (DW), evapotranspiration, and transpiration of crop grown on the lysimeters controlled with 5 levels of groundwater table (GWT), 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 cm were evaluated for optimum GWT and water use efficiency. All the lysimeters randomized with four replication arrangements were filled up sandy loam and were adjusted to the constant bulk density treated with twice water infiltration from bottom side to upper side of lysimeter. DW of barley, wheat, and millet in the plot of 0cm GWT that is saturated soil showed 34.9%, 44.7%, and 37.1% of that in the plot of 100 cm GWT, respectively showing a serious obstacle in crop growth. Evapotranspiration ratios calculated by evapotranspiration volume (mL) per DW were 166~605 mL for barley, 136~481 mL for wheat, and 81~418 mL for millet showing the order of barley > wheat > millet. Evapotranspiration ratio was increased with decrease of groundwater table that is the condition of moisture saturation. Estimation of GWT for maximum DW of wheat was 76 cm, and those of barley and millet were 100 cm below. The volumetric moisture content of lysimeter soil with cropping was markedly decreased as increase of crop growth because moisture supplying capability by capillary rise of water was less than amount of moisture required by crop.