IMPACT OF IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE ON MAIZE (Zea mays) YIELD, SOME WATER RELATIONS AND NITROGEN FERTILIZER LOSSES IN THE NORTH MIDDLE NILE DELTA. | ||
| Journal of Soil Sciences and Agricultural Engineering | ||
| Article 5, Volume 2, Issue 1, January 2011, Pages 59-70 PDF (464.9 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/jssae.2011.55102 | ||
| Authors | ||
| E. A. Moursi; A.A.S. Gendy; M.M. Kassab | ||
| Soils, Water and Environment Research Institute Agric. Res. Center | ||
| Abstract | ||
| A field trail was conducted at Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, during the two successive growing seasons 2008 and 2009 to study the effect of number of irrigations on maize yield, its components and some water relationships. Moreover, to investigate the effect of irrigation treatments on nitrogen fertilizer losses such as NH+4 and NO-3 in drainage water. The experimental design was randamized complete block with three replicates. The irrigation treatments were randomly assigned as main treatments which are, 1- Iirrigation as local farmers irrigating, their fields in the studied area (traditional, or control treatment A), 2-Withholding one irrigation through the growing season (treatment, B), 3-Withholding two irrigations through the growing season (treatment, C) and 4- Withholding three irrigations through the growing season (treatment, D). The obtained results can be summarized as follows :- ♦ The highest values of water applied and water consumptive use were recorded under control treatment (irrigation without any stress during the growing season, treatment, A).On the contrary, the lowest values were recorded under treatment, D (skipping three irrigations during the growing season). ♦ The mean values of both water utilization and water use efficiencies were increased under stressed plants comparing with control treatment,A. The highest mean values were recorded under treatment,D but the lowest mean values were recorded under control treatment,A (traditional irrigation). ♦ The mean values for yield and its components of maize were decreased under water stressed treatments B,C and D compared with the non-stressed one (traditional irrigation). The mean values for all studied parameters can be decreased in order A › B › C › D. ♦ Data also showed that the differences between A and B treatments was extremely slight for all studied parameters. So, the researchers might be recommended to skipping one irrigation during the growing season instead of the traditional irrigation, without any loss of yield. ♦ The losses for both NH+4 and NO-3 was increased under control treatment comparing with other stress irrigation treatments B,C, and D which exposed to different stress treatments during the two growing seasons. Also, data showed that the losses of NO-3 ion was higher than NH+4 losses. Increasing losses of NH+4 and NO-3 due to application of fertilizers as one dose, so, application of fertilizers should be splitted into several doses. ♦ According to rate of water table drawdown in the two growing seasons, the rate was decreased with increasing time following irrigation event. The highest value of water table drawdown was found after one day from irrigation. On the other hand, the lowest value was found before the next irrigation. The highest values of discharge rate were found in the first day after irrigation, while the lowest values were found before the next irrigation. | ||
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