INFLUENCE OF DRIP IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT ON SUGAR BEET YIELD AND SOME WATER RELATIONS AT NORTH NILE DELTA

Abstract

Two field experiments have been conducted at the experimental farm of Agriculture Faculty, Kafr El-Sheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate (31° 05’ N latitude and 30° 56’ E longitude) during the two successive growing seasons of 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 to study the overall effect of drip irrigation management on sugar beet productivity, its components and some water relations in clay soil in North Nile Delta. The treatments were arranged in a split plot design with four replicates. The main plots were assigned to three types emitters of drip irrigation system namely: built-in, simple orifice and long-path. Three irrigation regimes i.e. 10 minutes daily, 20 minutes every two days and 30 minutes every three days were allocated in the sub plots. The main results in this study can be summarized in the following points: 1-The drip irrigation with long-path emitters (Turbo) had been achieved the highest average values of root length (34.54 and 34.20 cm), root diameter (14.43 and 14.29 cm), sucrose percentage (20.77 and 20.71%), root yield (25.93 and 26.26 ton fed.-1), sugar yield (5.39 and 5.44 ton fed.-1), water productivity (18.74 and 18.84 kg root m-3 water consumptive use) and irrigation of water productivity (15.33 and 15.32 kg root m-3 applied water) during 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 growing seasons, respectively. 2-The highest average values of root yield (26.16 and 26.51 ton fed.-1), sugar yield (5.0 and 5.05 ton fed.-1), water productivity (17.56 and 17.64 kg root m-3 water consumptive use) and irrigation of water productivity (14.82 and 14.87 kg root m-3 applied water) had been obtained at irrigation sugar beet 20 minutes every two days in the 1st and 2nd seasons, respectively. 3-The highest average values of root yield (27.76 and 28.0 ton fed.-1) and sugar yield (5.81 and 5.85 ton fed.-1) were obtained with interaction between irrigation 20 minutes every two days and the Turbo emitter (long–path) in the 1st and 2nd seasons, respectively, while, the lowest average values of root yield (20.79 and 21.08 ton fed.-1) and sugar yield (3.70 and 3.73 ton fed.-1) had been obtained with irrigation 30 minutes every three days using the Metalic emitter (simple-orifice) in the same growing seasons, respectively.