IRRIGATION REQUIREMENTS OF FABA-BEAN UNDER TWO CLIMATIC LOCATIONS IN EGYPT

Abstract

Two field experiments were conducted in El-Bosaily farm, Behaira Governorate in North Egypt (Delta region) and Dokki, Giza Governorate (Middle Egypt) during of 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 winter seasons to study the response of (Vicia faba L.,) Sakha3 faba bean cultivar to three irrigation water levels 0.60, 0.80 and 1.00 of irrigation requirements (IR) applied by using a drip irrigation system. The sowing date was in Mid Oct. in the two locations. A number of leaves per plant, number of branches per plant, leaf area index (LAI), total plant dry weight, biological and seed yields per plant and per feddan, seed carbohydrate and protein contents, as well as water use efficiency (WUE), were determined. Vegetative growth traits as well as biological and seed yields of faba bean values were generally decreased at Dokki compared to El-Bosaily location. Meanwhile, application of 0.60 of (IR) irrigation decreased the vegetative growth traits as well as biological and seed yields in the two locations. Nevertheless, the 1.00 irrigation treatment gave the greatest grain yield in the two locations compared to other irrigation levels. The final results showed that the 0.60 irrigation level gave the highest WUE value. Increasing irrigation water above 0.60 led to decrease in WUE values. EL-Bosaily site gave the highest growth and productivity as well as higher WUE compared to Dokki location. Finally, the highest values of seed protein and carbohydrate contents in the faba bean were obtained from the lowest irrigation level (0.60 IR) at El-Bosaily farm during the two seasons.