Alternate Furrow Research Articles

Alternative Furrow Irrigation Effect on Onion (Allium cepa L.) Yield and Water Use Efficiency: Evidence from Ethiopia

ABSTRACT Agricultural water demand is increasing with inefficient delivery mechanisms in Ethiopia. This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of alternative furrow irrigation against other irrigation systems on onion crop (Allium cepa L.) yield and water use efficiency in Basketo special district. The experiment comprised of four levels of treatments (alternative furrow irrigation, fixed furrow irrigation, farmers practice) and 50% of alternative furrow irrigation. The analysis of variance for the combined means showed that alternative furrow gave the highest mean total yield (25.32 ton ha−1) and marketable yield (17.35 ton ha−1) without significantly varying farmer practices and fixed, while 50% alternative furrow gave the minimum total yield (21.23 ton ha−1) and marketable yield (10.35 ton ha−1). Alternative and 50% alternative showed 8% of yield and 40% of marketable yield difference. Alternative furrow irrigation also gave higher water use efficiency than others and 50% of alternative furrow irrigation saved higher water (60%) and other saved less. Economic profitability analysis showed that alternative furrow irrigation had given the highest gross field Benet and benefit cost ratio and 50% of alternative furrow irrigation gave the least of both parameters. Alternative furrow irrigation can be appropriate for better onion yielding and water saving in areas where there is water scarcity.

Influence of furrow irrigation regime on the yield and water consumption indicators of winter wheat based on a multi-level fuzzy comprehensive evaluation.

Irrigation regimes should be chosen to maximize crop yield and water use efficiency. To realize high yield and efficient water use with the appropriate furrow irrigation regime, the effects of two regimes (alternate furrow irrigation and conventional furrow irrigation) and three lower soil moisture limits (60, 70, and 80%) were studied on winter wheat yield and water consumption using a multi-level fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method. The results show that under the two regimes, alternate furrow irrigation and conventional furrow irrigation, when the lower limit of the soil moisture is 70%, the harvest index (0.45 and 0.39, respectively) and crop water productivity of winter wheat (1.86 and 1.90 kg m−3, respectively) are highest. The comprehensive fuzzy evaluation model considers multiple measures, including yield, harvest indices, irrigation volume, total water consumption, and crop water productivity – the index values are highest at the 70% condition, which are 0.3468 and 0.3432, respectively. Therefore, it can be concluded that a moderate water deficit is conducive to saving water resources and improving water use efficiency. In conclusion, a multi-level and multi-factor indices system of furrow irrigation regime was constructed based on ensuring winter wheat production. Conventional furrow irrigation is recommended in areas with sufficient irrigation water, while alternating furrow irrigation, which can reduce the total amount of irrigation required, is suitable for areas with water shortages.

Effects of Irrigation Method and Water Flow Rate on Irrigation Performance, Soil Salinity, Yield, and Water Productivity of Cauliflower

Water scarcity is a major constraint for food production, particularly in arid and semi-arid environments. In this regard, selecting the best irrigation technique is crucial to overcome water scarcity and enhance water productivity (WP) with no significant yield loss. This study aimed to assess the impact of irrigation techniques of every furrow irrigation (EFI), alternate furrow irrigation (AFI), and drip irrigation (DI), as well as the flow rate, on irrigation system performance parameters, yield, water productivity of cauliflower crop and soil salinity during the two successive growing seasons of 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 under field conditions. The treatments comprised three different irrigation inflow rates: Q1 = 0.47 L/s, Q2 = 0.95 L/s, and Q3 = 1.43 L/s. For both investigated seasons, the AFI + Q3 treatment produced the best water distribution uniformity (DU) and water application efficiency (AE) of 85.10% and 72.73%, respectively, of the surface irrigation, and DI methods across the two growing seasons produced the highest DU of 95%. DI produced the highest cauliflower curd yield (18.12 Mg/fed), followed by EFI + Q3 (12.285 Mg/fed) and AFI + Q3 (11.905 Mg/fed). The maximum mean WP value of 10.6 kg/m3 was recorded with DI, followed by AFI + Q3 (6.24 kg/m3), across the two growing seasons. DI, AFI + Q3, AFI + Q2, AFI + Q1, EFI + Q3, and EFI + Q2 saved irrigation water by 32.63, 28.71, 21.22, 18.04, 10.48, and 3.18%, respectively, compared with EFI + Q1 across the two growing seasons. During both seasons, the average value using the drip irrigation system was 3.60 dS/m. Considering the annual leaching requirements of soil, climate change conditions, and fixed costs, we recommend the use of a drip irrigation system in clayey soil to produce cauliflower, followed by the use of the alternative furrow irrigation method to enable the aeration of the same soil for a lower cost.

Evaluation of Water Productivity under Furrow Irrigation for Onion (Allium cepa L.) Crop

Irrigation water management practices are the main strategies to improve water productivity. This research work was focused to study the performance of alternate and paired row furrow irrigation systems at three levels of irrigation (100%, 75%, and 50% of crop evapotranspiration) using different water productivity indicators for onion crops. The experiment had six treatments and replicated three times to evaluate the analysis of variance in SAS software. Water productivity indicators like crop water use efficiency, field water use efficiency, and field water expense efficiency were determined through bulb yield and water which were used by the crop. The crop yield was expressed as the total yield of onion bulbs, and crop water use was expressed as crop evapotranspiration (ETc), gross depth of irrigation, and water expense. The estimated maximum values of crop water use efficiency, field water use efficiency, and field water expense efficiency were 11.941, 16.152, and 9.361 kg m−3, respectively, for paired row furrow irrigation with 50% ETc. The performance of the paired row furrow irrigation system in crop yield and water use was better as compared to the alternate furrow irrigation system at all levels of irrigation.

Eddy covariance quantification of corn water use and yield responses to irrigations on farm‐scale fields

AbstractFurrow irrigations dominate row‐crop irrigation scenarios in many regions worldwide. In this study, corn (Zea mays L.) yield and evapotranspiration (ET) in an all‐furrow irrigation (FI) were compared against irrigations applied through alternate furrows irrigation (SFI, skip‐furrow irrigation) and rainfed (RF) systems on farm‐scale fields in 2017 and 2019 {corn phases of a soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]–corn rotation} in clay soil in the Lower Mississippi Delta region, United States. Evapotranspiration was monitored using the eddy covariance (EC) method. The average corn yield in the SFI was significantly (12.1 Mg ha−1) higher (4.9%) than in the FI (11.7 Mg ha−1). Corn yield in RF (10.2 Mg ha−1) was significantly lower (10.7%) than in the FI. However, the leaf area index (LAI) in SFI was lower than in FI. Seasonal average ET was 556, 573, and 540 mm in FI, SFI, and RF, respectively. The average water use efficiencies (WUEs) were 0.021, 0.021, and 0.019 Mg ha−1 mm−1, respectively (10.5 % lower in RF than FI and SFI). This investigation revealed that adapting the SFI irrigation regime in the corn cropping system could produce grain yields equal to or higher than corn grown under the conventional FI, saving ∼40% of irrigation water. The farm‐scale studies conducted in this investigation gave better confidence to recommend SFI to replace conventional FI systems in the region for water conservation in corn cropping systems. Further investigations may be needed to evaluate the viability of SFI in other contrasting soils and climates and recommend the system for adoption by the farming community.

Effect of different irrigation methods on productivity of maize in vertisols of Northern Karnataka

Field experiment was conducted to know the response of different surface irrigation methods for maize at Water and Land Management Institute Campus, Dharwad of Northern Karnataka during 2013-14 to 2015-16. The study revealed that, the increase in grain yield was 16.05 and 6.00 per cent in alternate furrow irrigation and in conventional furrow irrigation, respectively over flooding method of irrigation. The saving in irrigation water was to the extent of 32.10 and 10.83 per cent, respectively in alternate furrow irrigation and conventional furrow irrigation over flooding method of irrigation. The water productivity was 20.66,14.34 and 11.96 kg/ha-mm in alternate furrow irrigation, conventional furrow irrigation and flooding method of irrigation, respectively. The increase in water productivity was 72.27 per cent in alternate furrow irrigation over flooding method of irrigation and 19.54 per cent in conventional furrow irrigation as compared with that of surface flooding method. The gross benefit-cost ratios were 2.94, 2.675 and 2.53 in alternate furrow irrigation, conventional furrow irrigation and flooding method of irrigation, respectively. The increase in net income per ha-mm of water used was 87.93 and 24.38 per cent, respectively in alternate furrow irrigation and in conventional furrow irrigation over flooding method of irrigation.

Studies on surface irrigation methods for sunflower in Dharwad district of Northern Karnataka

Field experiment was conducted to study the response of different methods of surface irrigation for sunflower at water and land management institute campus, Dharwad of Northern Karnataka during 2013-14 to 2015-16. The study revealed that, the increase in grain yield was 12.71 and 9.23 per cent in alternate furrow irrigation and in conventional furrow irrigation, respectively over flooding method of irrigation. The saving in irrigation water was to the extent of 29.60 and 12.12 per cent, respectively in alternate furrow irrigation and conventional furrow irrigation over flooding method of irrigation. The water productivity was 41.59, 30.89 and 25.82 kg/ha-cm in alternate furrow irrigation, conventional furrow irrigation and flooding method of irrigation, respectively. The increase in water productivity was 60.61 per cent in alternate furrow irrigation over flooding method of irrigation and 19.56 per cent in conventional furrow irrigation as compared with that of surface flooding method. The gross benefit-cost ratios were 2.33, 2.25 and 2.06 in alternate furrow irrigation, conventional furrow irrigation and flooding method of irrigation, respectively. The increase in net income per ha-cm of water used was 78.35 and 29.23 per cent, respectively in alternate furrow irrigation and in conventional furrow irrigation over flooding method of irrigation.

Field evaluation of an explicit infiltration function for conventional and alternate furrow irrigation

AbstractSurface irrigation models should take two‐dimensional infiltration of water in furrows into account for better representation and more accuracy. The Warrick–Lazarovitch infiltration model (W–L model) has been proposed to estimate the two‐dimensional infiltration of water in furrow irrigation. This model consists of several parameters, including γ as an empirical parameter, which is often obtained through calibration of the model. This study aimed to evaluate the W–L model performance in determining the cumulative and lateral infiltrations under conventional furrow irrigation (CFI) and alternate furrow irrigation (AFI) schemes and two different initial and boundary conditions. The results indicate that the W–L model adequately estimated the cumulative and lateral infiltration, and the two‐dimensional infiltration was estimated with less error than the lateral infiltration. In both irrigation schemes, for an increased surface boundary head from 5 to 10 cm and for a reduced initial water content from 0.21 to 0.16 cm3/cm3, the value of γ would increase. Generally, γ values in AFI were greater than those in CFI. The W–L model estimated the two‐dimensional infiltration with more accuracy than the relative lateral infiltration for both CFI and AFI. Proper representation of infiltration is important in both irrigation management and in tracing footprints of chemicals used in agriculture.

The Essentials of Deficit Irrigation for Crop and Water Productivity in Ethiopia: A Review

Improving irrigation water management and enhancing crop and water productivity (WP) are required to address future water scarcity in Ethiopia. Increasing WP through exposing the crop to a positive level of water stress the use of deficit irrigation (DI) is taken into consideration a promising strategy. To espouse deficit irrigation strategies, a shred of complete proof regarding DI for distinctive crops is required. The objective of this critical review is to collect adequate information about the indicators on the essential of DI to crop and water productivity. Just a study on the role of deficit irrigation indicates improve crop yield and water productivity. The end result confirmed that DI appreciably improved WP in comparison to complete irrigation. Despite better WP, the decreased yield became acquired in a number of the studied DI practices in comparison to complete irrigation. It was additionally observed that yield reduction can be low in comparison to the advantages won through diverting the saved water to irrigate extra arable land. The advantages of water-saving techniques which include alternate furrow and deficit irrigation want to be explored to make sure meals safety for the ever-growing populace in the context of declining availability of irrigation water. Consequently, reviewer concluded that deficit irrigation is doubtlessly important to enhance sustainable crop and water productiveness in Ethiopian agriculture.

The Essentials of Deficit Irrigation for Crop and Water Productivity in Ethiopia: A Review

Improving irrigation water management and enhancing crop and water productivity (WP) are required to address future water scarcity in Ethiopia. Increasing WP through exposing the crop to a positive level of water stress the use of deficit irrigation (DI) is taken into consideration a promising strategy. To espouse deficit irrigation strategies, a shred of complete proof regarding DI for distinctive crops is required. The objective of this critical review is to collect adequate information about the indicators on the essential of DI to crop and water productivity. Just a study on the role of deficit irrigation indicates improve crop yield and water productivity. The end result confirmed that DI appreciably improved WP in comparison to complete irrigation. Despite better WP, the decreased yield became acquired in a number of the studied DI practices in comparison to complete irrigation. It was additionally observed that yield reduction can be low in comparison to the advantages won through diverting the saved water to irrigate extra arable land. The advantages of water-saving techniques which include alternate furrow and deficit irrigation want to be explored to make sure meals safety for the ever-growing populace in the context of declining availability of irrigation water. Consequently, reviewer concluded that deficit irrigation is doubtlessly important to enhance sustainable crop and water productiveness in Ethiopian agriculture.

Seasonal Yield Response Factor for Red Bombay Onion (Allium cepa L.) Variety in Arba Minch, Ethiopia

Background: For better water resources management in the areas of water shortage for crop production, deficit irrigation is very important. The understanding of the yield response factor to water deficit is crucial for efficient irrigation water management. Deficit irrigation for studying yield response factors is always practiced in the way of stressing the demand of the crops. The present study was done for the determination of the seasonal yield response factor of red Bombay onion variety under Arba Minch agro climate condition. Furthermore, it also examined the effect of furrow irrigation systems on the seasonal yield response factor. Methods: The experiment was conducted from August to November 2019. The experiment had six treatments, which were the combination of two furrow irrigation systems and three irrigation levels. Data were collected for soil moisture before and after each irrigation and bulb yield. The seasonal yield response factors were determined through simple linear regressions using SPSS software. Result: When considering the furrow irrigation system as a factor, the seasonal yield response factor for alternate furrow irrigation system was 1.18 while for paired row furrow irrigation system was 1.07. This red Bombay variety of onion clearly shows more sensitive to water stress for alternative furrow irrigation systems than paired row furrow irrigation systems. Therefore, in the area of water shortage paired row furrow irrigation system is better than alternate furrow irrigation system. The seasonal yield response factor as a wall for red Bombay onion variety in Arba Minch agro-ecological condition was 1.12. Therefore, the red Bombay onion variety in Arba Minch agroclimate condition was sensitive to water stress.

Investigating soybean (Glycine max L.) responses to irrigation on a large-scale farm in the humid climate of the Mississippi Delta region

The shallow Lower Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer, which supports irrigated agriculture in the Lower Mississippi Delta (LMD) region, is fast depleting from unsustainable water extractions for irrigations. The survival of irrigated agriculture in the region today hinges on enhancing the irrigation use efficiencies of the water pumped out. Furrow irrigation practices (surface or flood irrigation) dominate the LMD region's irrigated agriculture scenario. We investigated soybean productivity in response to irrigations applied through every furrow (FI), applied through alternate furrow (AFI), and rainfed (RF, no irrigation). Approximately half the volume of water applied in FI was applied in the AFI. The experiments were conducted in 2016, 2018, and 2020, which constituted the soybean phases of a corn-soybean rotation trial conducted on a clay soil in farm-scale plots (15 ha). The plots were equipped with eddy covariance systems for quantifying crop water use (ET, evapotranspiration). There was no appreciable difference in soybean grain yield between FI and AFI, but RF yielded significantly lower than FI and AFI. Leaf area index was also significantly lower in RF compared to FI and AFI. Across the three years, the average reduction in soybean yield was only 2% in AFI, while it was 24% in RF compared to FI. Average grain yields were 4507, 4413, and 3422 kg ha−1; seasonal ET were 549, 562, and 527 mm; and water use efficiencies (WUE) were 8, 8, and 7 kg ha−1 mm−1 in FI, AFI, and RF, respectively. This large farm-scale study demonstrated that grain yields from irrigating soybean through alternate furrows were comparable to irrigating through every furrow, thus saving about half the water pumped out of the aquifer. This unique study was conducted in farm-scale fields; as such, the results obtained directly apply to a farm environment, so they are ready for recommendation to soybean farmers for adoption without further field trials.

English

Water is a vital resource to sustain civilizations and pecuniary development and most importantly agriculture. Agriculture is the main contributor to the Ethiopian economy. The field experiment was conducted at Werer Agricultural Research center to evaluate the effects of drip and furrow irrigation under different irrigation levels on maize water use efficiency. The experiment was laid out in an RCBD split-plot arrangement where drip and furrow irrigations were assigned as the main plot and irrigation levels (100, 85, 70, and 55% of ETc) were assigned in the subplot arrangement with three blocks. The highest seasonal water requirement of maize was 701.7 mm at 100% ETc under conventional furrow irrigation which is considered as control while the lowest was 321.6 mm at 55% ETc under alternative furrow irrigation. The interaction effects of irrigation systems and irrigation levels have shown a highly significant (p<0.01) effect on water use efficiency. The highest (2.38 kg/m3) and the lowest (0.60kg/m3) water use efficiency were recorded from the plots treated with drip irrigation at 100% ETc and conventional furrow irrigation at 100% ETc treatments, respectively. In terms of water use efficiency and economic prominence, irrigating with a drip irrigation system with 100% ETc can be recommended for the production of maize in the study area. Key words: Agriculture, efficiency, irrigation, main plot, split plot.

Permanent Bed Width Has Little Effect on Crop Yield under Rainfed and Irrigated Conditions across Central Mexico

In Mexico, conservation agriculture has been mainly implemented using permanent beds, where the top of the raised beds is not tilled, which allows them to obtain the benefits of conservation agriculture for yield and soil quality. However, narrow (0.75–0.80 m width) and wide (1.50–1.60 m width) beds are commonly implemented without scientific evidence available as to whether the width of the beds affects crop yields. The objective of our study was therefore to evaluate two types of permanent beds, in maize (Zea mays L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) production, in various agro-ecological regions of Mexico. The study included nine sites, of which six were rainfed and three had irrigation. Bed width did not significantly affect crop yield. Therefore, farmers can choose the bed width that best meets their practical needs. Some practical considerations include mechanical weeding (more access in narrow beds), fuel use (lower for reshaping wide beds), irrigation water use (in wide beds similar to irrigating alternate furrows in narrow beds), and residue management (option to concentrate residue in windrows at center of wide beds). Soil texture can also affect this choice, because it affects water infiltration and retention.

A Review of Irrigation Water Management Research Achievements of JARC

Crop production in Ethiopia is largely dominated by rain-fed agriculture, which is suffered by climate change, due to occurrence of erratic rain falls. Therefore, it should be supplemented with irrigation; unless it is difficult to supply food for extremely growing country’s food demands. To alleviate such problems, Jimma irrigation research departments conducted a number of experiments to improve crop productivity as well as water use efficiency with minimum yield penalty at the expense of water saving at different climatic condition of southwestern Ethiopia. Therefore, the objective of this review is to analyze best research findings and technologies that were checked at different locations. Among promising results, deficit irrigation, inducing moisture stress at different growth stages of crops, supplemental irrigation, integrated use of mulching with deficit irrigation, mineral fertilization (Phosphorous and Nitrogen) vis irrigation, and irrigation scheduling are the major one. Accordingly, optimum yield of maize was reported when it was irrigated at alternate furrow method, is preferably good when irrigation amount is not less than 75% ETc, which saved about 50% of water over conventional furrows 100% ETc. Then the saved water used to irrigate additional piece of land. The other irrigation strategy is skipping irrigation in less sensitive stage of crops, the report comes from Haru ( Gimbi area) indicated that skipping irrigation during initial and late season had minimum impacts on maize yields, with 50% water saving as compared to all stage irrigated maize. In addition to reducing the amount of water significantly, the cover crop could play significant role in reducing soil evaporation. For instance, the experiment conducted at Haru showed that alternate furrow mulched with plastic mulch provided highest potato yield over non-mulched. Most of time, the fertilizer recommendation made for rain fed agriculture does not work for irrigated agriculture. The full irrigation (100% ETc) combined with 46 kg/ha phosphorous in soybean provided highest yield. However, increasing the amount of phosphorous fertilizer beyond this level did not increase the yield even if the field receives enough moisture. Finally, the future research direction should focus on water saving together with optimized fertilization through liquid water, and integrated with water harvesting in areas with limited water source either physical or economical. Keywords: Deficit Irrigation, Moisture Stress and Irrigation Scheduling DOI: 10.7176/JRDM/78-01 Publication date: August 31 st 2021

Partial Wetting of Root Zone to Enhance Furrow Irrigation Indices, Yield Responses and Economic Return Of Soybean الترطيب الجزئى لمنطقة الجذور لتحسين مؤشرات الرى بالخطوط واستجابة المحصول والعائد الاقتصادي لفول الصويا

This study was carried out in a private farm located in Gharbiya Governorate, the Nile Delta, Egypt. The study aimed to assess how far the alternative furrow application and deficit irrigation may improve irrigation indices and water productivity of Soybean. Two techniques of alternation were applied. The first is Standing Alternate furrow Irrigation (SAI), the second is Reciprocal Alternate furrow Irrigation (RAI). The two techniques were compared with Conventional furrow Irrigation (CI), at which, all furrows are conventionally irrigated per each irrigation (Control). Results revealed that irrigation requirements under both of (SAI) and (RAI) techniques s are significantly less than that with (CI). Surface runoff increased as the level of application increased. The significant difference was found only between (RAI) with the level of 50 % Etc. and the treatment of (CI) with the level of 100% Etc. The highest value of (Ea) was achieved with (RAI) and 75% ETc irrigation level while the lowest value was found with (CI) and 100% ETc irrigation level. The lowest values of actual ET were found (RAI) and 50% ETc irrigation level. Also, results indicated that produced yield of soybean varied significantly (P<0.05) and influenced by both irrigation techniques and application levels. Yield of soybean was depressed by about 12% under (SAI) with 50% ETc, compared with the treatment of (CI) and 100% ETc. It could be concluded that, the (RAI) and 75% ETc irrigation level is efficient management for soybean production without the risk of reduced grain yield under the experiment conditions.

Effects of drip and alternate furrow method of irrigation on cotton yield and physical water productivity: A case study from farmers’ field of Bhavnagar district of Gujarat, India

With the growing irrigation water scarcity, the researchers and policymakers are more concerned to improve the irrigation water use efficiency at farmers’ field level. The water-saving technologies provide greater control over water delivery to the crop root zone and reduce the non-beneficial evaporation from the crop field. Water productivity is an important concept for measuring and comparing water use efficiency. The present study tried to estimate the irrigation water use and physical water productivity of cotton under alternate furrow and drip irrigation methods in the Bhavnagar district of Gujarat. Results suggest that crop yield and physical water productivity were higher for cotton irrigated by drip method than alternate furrow method during normal rainfall and drought year. The irrigation water use under the drip method of irrigation was lower as compared to the alternate furrow method. In the case of total water (effective rainfall + irrigation water) use, per hectare crop yield and physical water productivity were higher for the drip method of irrigation than the alternate furrow method of irrigating cotton crop during normal rainfall and drought year. In the case of total water use (effective rainfall + irrigation water), it was lower for drip irrigation than the alternate furrow method of irrigating cotton crop during normal rainfall year and drought year. While estimating total water (effective rainfall + irrigation water) use, it was assumed that there is no return flow of water from the cotton field in the study area under both irrigation methods.

Salt Removal by Combining a Permanent Skip Furrow Irrigation and Salt Removal Sheet

Skip furrow irrigation (SFI) can save water by irrigating every alternate furrow. Usually, irrigated furrows are alternated at each irrigation event under SFI. If irrigated furrows are fixed (permanent SFI, PSFI), more water may be saved by reducing the wetting area, and salts may accumulate on the dry side of the ridge. Salt removal sheet, a method of collecting salts on the sheet laid on the soil surface utilizing high evaporation demand in drylands, may be an efficient measure for removal of accumulated salt under PSFI. We evaluated salinity movement and water saving under PSFI through a field experiment in Uzbekistan. In addition, a salt removal sheet was applied to the shoulder of the ridge on the drier side under PSFI to evaluate its potential in removing salt from the soil with the practice. The results showed that salts tend to accumulate on the dry side of the ridge, and the amount of irrigation water was halved without a large crop yield reduction. The PSFI + Sheet was able to catch 6.4% of salts in the top 10 cm soil layer.

CHARACTERIZING WATER DISTRIBUTION OF FURROW IRRIGATION TO IMPROVE SOIL PRODUCTIVITY IN NORTH NILE DELTA OF EGYPT

Field trials were conducted at Sakha farm, Kafr EL-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt to find the best interaction between furrow design, cut-off irrigation, Alternative furrow irrigation, discharge and phosphorus fertilization to enhance faba bean productivity and profit (Net Return) of North Nile Delta soils. Design and evaluate the effect off cut off irrigation (100 % (I1), 90 % (I2) and 85 % (I3) from furrow length) and alternative furrow irrigation (I4) with 4 lps/m irrigation discharge and four fertilization treatments; F1 (100% Rp, as control), F2 (75 % Rp +Phosphorien), F3 (65 % Rp+ Phosphorien) and F4 (55 % Rp+ Phosphorien) on infiltration characteristics, intake family and chosen irrigation parameters with post irrigation of feba bean crop. The results showed that, the infiltration rate decreased rapidly at elapsed time 4 hours in the two studied seasons and individual regression is considered representative of the soil intake conditions. The distribution uniformity for applied water is more than 0.9 under different cut-off irrigation and alternative furrow irrigation. Application efficiency increased as intake family decreased and is the best discharge management for furrow inflow rate at 2 lps/m. The measured irrigation time, and advance time was higher than the designed. While the designed recession time, opportunity time and the ratio between irrigation time and advance time were higher than measured values. The ratio of inflow time to advance time for design parameters is more than 2 meanwhile, the design is valid in studied soil. The highest ratio was obtained with cut-off at 85% from furrow length. It can be concluded that the highest values of irrigation application efficiency were obtained with cut-off at 85% from furrow length for design and measured parameters. Concerning the economic evaluation, I4 combined with F3 achieved the highest values of net return and benefit cost ratio followed by combined treatments I3F3, while the lowest values of specific cost was detected with I4F3.

Effects of irrigation and planting geometry on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) fiber quality and seed composition

BackgroundCotton fiber quality and seed composition play vital roles in the economics of cotton production systems and the cottonseed meal industry. This research aimed to examine the effects of different irrigation levels and planting geometries on fiber quality and seed composition of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). We conducted a 2-year study in 2018 and 2019 in a warm, humid area in the Southeast United States on Dundee silt loam soil. There were three irrigation treatments in the study. The treatments included irrigating every furrow, or full irrigation (FI), every alternate furrow, or half irrigation (HI), and no irrigation, or rain-fed (RF). Planting geometries were on ridges spaced 102 cm apart and either a single-row (SR) or twin-rows (TR).ResultsThe results of high-volume instrument (HVI), advanced fiber information systems (AFIS) and near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) showed that irrigation and planting treatments played a significant role in fiber quality and seed composition. Across irrigation treatments, significant differences were seen in fiber properties, including fineness, maturity ratio, micronaire, neps, short fiber, strength, uniformity, upper half mean length (UHML), upper quartile length by weight (UQLw), and yellowness (+b). Irrigation and planting geometry (PG) had a significant effect on micronaire, strength, and UHML while their interaction was significant only for micronaire. The micronaire was negatively affected by irrigation as FI-SR, FI-TR, HI-SR, and HI-TR recorded 11% ~ 12% lower over the RF-SR and TR treatments. The PG played a minor role in determining fiber quality traits like micronaire and nep count. Irrigation treatments produced significantly lower (3% ~ 4%) protein content than rain-fed, while oil content increased significantly (6% ~ 10%).ConclusionsThe study results indicate a potential for improving cotton fiber and seed qualities by managing irrigation and planting geometries in cotton production systems in the Mississippi (MS) Delta region. The HI-TR system appears promising for lint and seed quality.