Effect of Irrigation Water Salinity, Irrigation Interval and Sulphur Fertilizer Rates on Forage Yield,Yield Components and Quality of Blue Panic Grass (Panicum antictotale L.)

Abstract

This study was carried out at the Agricultural Experiment station, KAU, Hada Al– Sham during 2007 and 2008 seasons, to study the effects of three irrigation water salinity levels (1000, 5000 and 10,000 mg/l), three irrigation intervals and three sulphur rates on forage yield and quality of blue panic grass. The results revealed that decreasing water salinity or irrigation interval or increasing sulphur rate ceased increasing forage yield and yield components of dry forage yield /ha were 12.6, 10.3 and 8.07 t/ha under the effect of 1000, 5000 and 10,000 mg/l. As irrigation interval increased from 4 to 6 to 8 days dry forage yield decreased from 11.4 to 10.3 to 9.27 t/ha, respectively. Increasing sulphur rates from 0.0 to 7.5 to 15 t/ ha, increased dry forage yield from 8.68 to 10.59 to 11.69 t/ha, respectively. Leaf protein content increased as irrigation water salinity increased, where protein contents were 18.94% and 20.63% under 1000 mg/l and 10.000 mg/l, respectively. As sulphur rates increased, protein content of stems and leaves increased. Also, the interaction between the water salinity and sulphur rates had significant effects on fresh and dry forage yield. Also, the interaction between irrigation intervals and sulphur rates had significant effects on dry forage yield.