Improving Water and N-Use Utilization for Field Crops via Lternate- Furrow Irrigation Echnique. 1-Maize Crop

Abstract

Two field experiments were executed at the farm of Gemmeiza Agric. Res. Stn. during 2001and 200 seasons, to find out the extent to which alternate-furrow irrigation technique, affected water and N-utilization for maize crop.Data revealed significant reductions in applied water, due to conveying the water through alternate-furrow irrigation at, 7 or 14 days interval. Increasing N-rate resulted in increased applied water values, under the adopted irrigation techniques , a similar trend was observed regardless irrigation techniques as well.Alternate-furrow irrigation , at 14 days interval, seems to decrease the grain yield insignificantly, whereas, under alternate -furrow at 7 days interval, the figure was increased by 14,5%, as compared with every-furrow irrigation. Increasing N-rate gradually increased grain yield value, and this was true under the adopted irrigation techniques , regardless the irrigation effect too.Water Use Efficiency(WUE) values were improved under alternate-furrow irrigation, either 7 or 14 days interval, comparable to every-furrow irrigation. Increasing N-rate resulted in increased WUE values, either regarding or regardless irrigation techniques. Nitrogen Use Efficiency(NUE) seems to decrease with alternatefurrow irrigation at 14 days interval, while the corresponding value with alternatefurrow irrigation at 7 days interval was increased, compared with every-furrow irrigation. Moreover, NUE was decreased as N-rate increased, this was true under the adopted irrigation techniques ,also regardless them.Total grain-N%, grain N-uptake, grain N-recovery % and residual soil inorganic-N values, seemed to decrease under alternate-furrow irrigation at 14 days interval, compared to both alternate-furrow with 7 days interval, and every-furrow irrigation techniques. This may be due to less N-availability under the more drier conditions prevailing under such irrigation technique.

Alternative Furrow Irrigation to Rationalize of Irrigation Water for Maize in North Nile Delta Soils

“…WP values increased by 11.3 % and 2.9 %, respectively, when the A1/1E10 regime was applied to the (EFI15) and (A1/1C10) treatments. Similar findings were reported by Abdel-Maksoud et al (2002) for wheat and Tavakoli and Oweis (2004) and Webber et al (2006) for common green game bean.…”

Effect of Irrigation Interval, Organic Manuring and Nitrogen Fertilization Level on Yield and Yield Attributes of Maize

“…Mineral fertilization with nitrogen was also reported to increase grain yield of maize. Abdel-Maksoud et al (2002); Shams (2000) and El-Murshedy (2002) reported that increasing N levels up to 105,120 and 140 kg N/fad., increased grain yield, number of rows/ear, number of grains/ row, 100 kernal weight and grain weight. These increases were attributed to the increase of yield attributes i.e.…”