EFFECT OF IRRIGATION ON THE PRODUCTIVITY AND WATER USE EFFICIENCY OF FABA BEAN CULTIVARS (Vicia faba L) IN NORTH DELTA, EGYPT

Abstract

Two field experiments were conducted at Sakha Agricultural Research station, Kafr El-Sheikh governorate, during the two successive seasons of 2005/06 and 2006/07. The study aimed to investigate irrigation effect on seed yield and water use efficiency of faba bean cultivars in North Delta, Egypt. A split plot design with four replications was used. Irrigation treatments were sowing irrigation (I1); sowing irrigation plus 1st irrigation after 30 days from sowing (I2); sowing irrigation plus 1st irrigation after 30 days and the 2nd irrigation after 90 days from sowing (I3); sowing irrigation plus 1st irrigation after 30 days and the 2nd irrigation after 90 days and the 3rd irrigation after 120 days from sowing (I4). Sub plots were devoted to faba bean cvs. Sakha 1, Sakha 3 and Nubaria 1. Results showed that insignificant increases between irrigation treatment of I4 and treatment of I3 in all traits under study i.e. plant height, number of pods/plant, number of seeds/pods, number of seeds/plant, 100-seed weight, seed yield of plant and seed yield. Irrigation treatment of I4 significantly increased plant height by 4.7%, number of seeds/plant by 22.1%, 100-seed weight by 4.1%, and seed yield/fed by 22.4% compared to irrigation treatment of I1. Means values of seasonal water consumptive use of faba bean were 30.05 cm, 25.84 cm, 22.49 cm, and 12.30 cm for irrigation treatments of I4 , I3 , I2 , I1 , respectively. Faba bean cv. Sakha 1 consumed less water than cvs. Sakha 3 and Nubaria 1 by 7.4% and 4.9%, respectively, due to short duration of cv. Sakha 1. Seasonal irrigation water applied were 47.2 cm (1982 m3/fed.), 39.1 cm (1642 m3/fed.), 27.6 cm (1159 m3/fed.), and 18.8 cm (790 m3/fed.) for irrigation treatments of I4, I3, I2, I1, respectively. Maximum values of crop water use and field water use efficiencies resulted from irrigation treatment of I1, and faba bean cv. Sakha 3 exhibited the highest crop water use and field water use efficiencies compared to the other tested cultivars. Means percentage values of water removed from the upper 30 cm soil layer were 76.93%, 72.20%, 66.43% and 63.48% for I4, I3, I2, and I1 respectively. Regression slope indicated that each centimeter of seasonal water applied produced 10.5 kg seed yield/fed. and enhanced water consumptive use of faba bean plants by 0.60 cm. On the other hand, it decreased crop water use efficiency by 1.7 kg seed yield/cm of water consumed and field water use efficiency by 1.3 kg seed yield/cm of water applied. Therefore, irrigating faba bean plants 3 times including sowing irrigation could be applied since the reduction in seeds yield was 1.4% for 17.2% of saving irrigation water applied compared with irrigation 4 times including sowing irrigation. But, when water is scarce, irrigations may be reduced to two, or one, which concomitant water savings, using cultivars which utilize more water and result in higher water use efficiencies in Delta, Egypt.