INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF FISH (NILE TILAPIA) AND LEAF VEGETABLE CROP (HEAD LETTUCE) CULTURE UNDER DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM

Abstract

Effluent of fish farms is considered a safe source for irrigation and fertigation in the same time. A field experiment took place on Horticulture research farm, Faculty of Agricultural, Kafr El-Sheikh University, north of the Nile Delta, Egypt, having a clay textured soil during winter growing seasons of 2015/2016 and 2016/2017to study the effect of utilization of fish effluent on lettuce production and emitters performance under drip irrigation system. The drip irrigation system was studied at three different emitter types: long path flow, in-line type and 4 l h-1 discharge (D1); turbulent flow, on-line type and 6 l h-1 discharge (D2) and laminar flow, on-line type and 4 l h-1 discharge (D3), three levels of recommended N dose: 100% N, 75% N and 50% N and two different sources of irrigation water: traditional irrigation water (IW) and drainage water of fish ponds (FW). Traditional irrigation water was applied at 100% N only. Main results cleared out that, FW increased clogging ratio comparing with IW for different emitter types, D3 emitter had the highest clogging ratio while D2 emitter had the lowest; application uniformity at end of the growing season decreased comparing with it at beginning for all treatments, FW decreased Cu at end of the growing season comparing with IW; FW enhanced lettuce yield comparing with IW for different treatment, where FW increased total head yield by 51.2, 50.2 and 61.3% for D1, D2 and D3 respectively comparing with IW under 100% N level; FW increased water and nitrogen productivity comparing with IW for different treatments. Weight gain during feed period values were 52.95 and 52.42 g at the technique of water exchange and traditional treatment respectively.