IMPACT OF IRRIGATION SCHEME AND P-FERTILIZATION RATE ON GROWTH, YIELD, YIELD QUALITY, P- USE EFFICIENCY AND WATER PRODUCTIVITY FOR BERSEEM CLOVER GROWN ON MIDDLE DELTA SOIL

Abstract

A field trial was carried out in the experimental farm of Gemmeiza Agricultural Research Station (Middle Nile Delta) during two successive 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 growing seasons. The objective of such trials is to find out the extent to which irrigation scheme( Farmer and bed- furrow irrigation schemes) and P-fertilization rate( 15, 30 and 45 kg P2O5/fed.) influenced growth, yield, yield quality, P- use efficiency and water productivity for berseem clover var. Gemmeiza1.The treatments were arranged in split – plot experimental design with three replicates. The most important findings could be as follows:- 1- Plant height values, at the different cuttings and total, in the two seasons of study, significantly reduced under bed-furrow irrigation, as compared with the farmer one. In general, leaves number/stem averages were higher, up to the third cutting in 1st season and up to second cutting in 2nd season, under bed- furrow irrigation, more than the farmer irrigation practice. No of leaves/stem criterion tended to increase with bed –furrow irrigation practice. Plant height and No of leaves/stem traits tended to increase as P- rate increased. 2- Fresh and dry berseem clover yields( at different cuttings and total) seemed to increase due to farmer irrigation scheme as compared with bed –furrow irrigation one, in both seasons of study. In addition, increasing P-rate resulted in increased values of both total fresh and dry berseem clover yields. 3- leaves/stem ratio(L/S) under bed-furrow irrigation scheme surpassed that under the farmer irrigation one, on dry weight basis. Data also revealed that increasing P-rate tended to improve L/S ratio either on fresh or dry weight basis. Crude protein and crud fiber yields tended to reduce under bed- furrow irrigation ,while increasing P-rate resulted in higher crude protein and crud fiber yields. 4-The seasonal applied water under bed-furrow irrigation scheme were reduced by 19.78 and 21.14%, in 1st and 2nd seasons, comparable with farmer one, respectively. Moreover, bed-furrow irrigation scheme resulted in higher water productivity values on total fresh and dry berseem clover yields basis. The calculated P- Use Efficiency values were reduced under bed-furrow irrigation as compared with the farmer irrigation one. Such reduction is mainly attributed to the reduction in total fresh and dry yields under the former irrigation practice. Increasing P rate tended to enhance water productivity for berseem clover on total fresh and dry yields basis.