Influence of Conventional and Intensive Cropping Sequences on Wheat Productivity under Different Mineral Nitrogen Fertilizer Rates

Abstract

A two-year study was conducted at Sakha Research station, Agricultural Research Center (ARC), Kafr El-Shiekhgovernorate, Egypt during 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 to decrease mineral nitrogen (N) inputs of wheat crop. This studyincluded two experiments each one contained 9 treatments, which were combinations of three cropping sequences(summer crop/Egyptian clover fahl''/wheat, summer crop/fodder maize/wheat and summer crop/fallow/wheat) and threemineral N fertilizer rates (80 kg N/fad, 60 kg N/fad + ascobien and 40 kg N/fad + ascobien). A split plot design with threereplications was used and combined analysis was done for the two experiments in each season. The results showed thatthere were clearly insignificant differences between rice and maize as a preceded summer crop on grain yield of wheatplants. The cropping sequence (maize or rice /Egyptian clover fahl''/wheat) increased significantly all the studied wheattraits compared with the other copping systems in the two seasons. There were insignificant differences betweenapplication of 80 kg N/fad and 60 kg N/fad + ascobien for grain yield/fad in the two seasons. The optimum grain yield/fadwas obtained by growing Egyptian clover fahl'' during transition period between preceded maize or rice in the summerseason and wheat that fertilized by 60 kg N/fad + ascobien in the winter season.