MANAGEMENT OF IRRIGATION AND FERTILIZATION FOR TWO WHEAT CULTIVARS UNDER SPRINKLER IRRIGATION SYSTEM IN NEW VALLEY GOVERNORATE

Abstract

Two field experiments were carried out during two successive winter seasons of 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 in the experimental farm, Agricultural Research Station of El-Kharga, the New Valley Government under sprinkler irrigation system to study the effect of three irrigation regimes (0.8, 1.0 and 1.2 IW:CPE), two wheat cultivars (Sakha-94 and Bani Suef-6) and four nitrogen fertilization treatments (100% inorganic-N, F1; 70% inorganic-N+3 ton compost+ N-fixers, F2; 70% inorganic-N +5 ton compost+ N-fixers, F3; 70% inorganic-N+7ton compost+ N-fixers, F4) on yield and its components, actual evapotransiration and water use efficiency of wheat. Results indicated that irrigated wheat plants with 1.2 IW: CPE increased biological, grain yields, ETa and WUE by 11.48, 58.46, 27.35 and 24.27% as compared with 0.8 IW:CPE, respectively. The superiority of Bani Suef-6 wheat cultivar over Sakha-94 was confirmed for 1000-grain weight, biological, grain yields and WUE. Meanwhile, Sakha-94 cultivar gave the highest values of number of spikes per m2, straw yield and ETa compared to Bani Suef 6 cultivar. Raising compost level from 0 to 7 ton fed-1 with applying N-fixers and decreasing inorganic N by 30% caused increasing 1000-grain weight, biological, grain yields, ETa and WUE. In general, the followed interaction treatments were the best treatments because they gave highest grain yield and WUE: irrigated Bani Suef-6 plants with 1.2 IW:CPE+F4; 1.2 IW:CPE+F3 and 1.0 IW:CPE+F4.