Effect of Planting Methods on some Water Relations and Yield of Wheat at North Nile Delta, Egypt

Abstract

Wheat is a strategic crop in Egypt because of its association with the bread system in Egypt. The present study was carried in Faculty of Agriculture Farm, Kafrelsheikh University in two growing winter seasons 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 to evaluate the change of planting methods of wheat crop and its effect on yield, some water relations and economic feasibility from production and water unit at North Nile Delta of Egypt. The design of experiment was complete design blocks with 3 replicates and the treatments were: T1 = flat broadcasting (traditional sowing), T2 = row broadcasting and T3 = raised bed broadcasting. The main results in this study can be summarized as follows:* Change planting methods to raised bed broadcasting raise the straw and grain yields compared to traditional method (flat broadcasting) or row broadcasting. The deference between means was highly significant in straw and grain yields of wheat but non-significant in 1000 grain weight and plant height.* Water applied was reduced by change traditional planting method to row broadcasting or raised bed broadcasting and save about 14 and 20.5% of water applied, respectively.* Crop water use efficiency and irrigation water productivity were increased by changing planting method from flat broadcasting to row broadcasting or raised bed broadcasting.* The highest values of net return and economic feasibility from water unit was achieved for wheat crop by using raised bed broadcasting. *Under the status of this study, could be recommend to plant wheat broadcasting on raised bed or rows alternative flat broadcasting as well as highest yields and highest efficiencies of applied irrigation water. Irrigation water was saved by more than 20% compared with flat broadcasting.