EFFECT OF PRECISION LAND LEVELING AND BIOFERTILIZERS ON RICE WATER USE EFFICIENCY IN SANDY SOILS

Abstract

This study was carried out in Kalabsho Region, El-Dakhlia Governorate, during 2007 summer season to identify the rice water use efficiency in the sandy soils, as affected by the precision land leveling and the application of the biofertilizers. The experiment was designed statistically as a split plots with three replicates. The main plots were located for the precision land leveling levels, and the sub plots were devoted for the biofetilization types. The obtained results could be summarized as follows: 1. The precision land leveling with slope of 0.02% which was accompanied with the biofertilizers Blue Green Algae and Bacillus megatherium var. phosphaticum achieved the lower values of soil bulk density (1.28 g/m3) and soil infiltration rate (20 mm/h). 2. the precision land leveling saved the total applied irrigation water amount by about 44.68, 43.85, 41.82 and 18.47% for 0, 0.01, 0.02 and 0.03% slopes, respectively from that required using the traditional leveling. 3. The precision land leveling with slope of 0.02% which was accompanied with the biofertilizers Blue Green Algae and Bacillus megatherium var. phosphaticum achieved higher grain yield of 3.96 ton/fed. and higher water use efficiency of 0.39 kg/m3. Generally, it is recommended to use the precision land leveling and apply the biofertilizers to achieve higher rice grain yield accompanied with saving more irrigation water under the sandy soils conditions.