IMPACT OF APPLIED IRRIGATION WATER SYSTEM ON THE DISTRIBUTION PATTERN OF BOTH MOISURE AND SALTS IN A SANDY SOIL AS RELATED TO WHEAT PRODUCTIVITY

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The main objective of this work was to investigate the impact of using twoirrigation systems, i.e., modified surface irrigation with cement gated passers(flooding) and sprinkler irrigation on the pattern distributions of soil moistureand salts as related to plant characteristics and grain yield of wheat (Triticumaestivum L., Sakha 93 cv.) grown on a desert sandy skeletal soil at Inshas areathat was reclaimed and cultivated since 1959 A.D.The obtained results showed that irrigation water was classified as C1S1,i.e., ECiw value = 0.35 dS/m or 0.75 dS/m and SAR 1.42 or < 6, indicate that theused irrigation water have no soil salinity or sodicity problems are expected.Also, the studied soil is characterized by a relatively coarse texture grade. i.e.,sandy loam that characterized by low capacity to retain either soil moisture ornutrients to the grown plants. By using a parametric evaluation system forirrigated agriculture land, it was found that soil texture represents a limitingfactor for its productivity as well as the studied soil belongs to a moderatelysuitable class (S2) in both current and potential conditions. Meanwhile, it couldbe evaluated as marginally (S3) and moderately (S2) suitable adaptations forwinter wheat at the current and potential conditions, respectively.It was also showed that the actual consumed value of irrigation waterrequired for the grown wheat plants under the prevailing conditions of theexperimental soil was 1775.5 m3 fed-1 vs 2683.0 under modified surfaceirrigation and 2104.7 m3 fed-1 under sprinkler systems, with water saving ofabout 21.55 % in irrigation water for the later one. That was true, since suchsaving of water is more attributed with the water efficiency use values that were66.18 and 78.47 % for modified surface irrigation and sprinkler, respectively.Moreover, the data indicated that the soil salinity levels were liable toseasonally change with different efficiencies of salts removed reached about 22-25 vs 16-19 % throughout soil profile layers under the modified surface andsprinkler irrigation systems, respectively. Practically, soil moisture contentsreached almost values of wilting point at the eleventh and fifth days afterirrigation under the applied irrigation systems of modified surface irrigation andsprinkler, respectively. Consequently, the corresponding best irrigation intervalswere 11 and 5 days under the prevailing environmental conditions of the currentexperiment, respectively.Wheat vegetative growth parameters, i.e., plants intensity in m2, plantheight, No. of tillers/plant and dry weight/plant as well as harvest parameters,i.e., spike length and No. of grains/spike, grain and straw yields were affectedby both applied irrigation systems, with successfully parameters for plantsirrigated with sprinkler system. This was more attributed with the uniformity ofsoil-water distribution a certain stage of germination and seed response, may bedue to easily irrigation water flow among whole field with high efficiency use inshort time with low losses either by down movement under such relativelycoarse textured soil or evaporation under hot-arid climate.