Improving Wheat Production in New Soils Under Ammonia Fertilizer Rates and Water Management

Abstract

seasons to study the effect of ammonia gas rates, i.e., F 1 : 80 and F 2 : 100 kg N fed -1 (1 kg ammonia gas contain 82.4 % N) and irrigation regime i.e., I 1 : irrigation at 40%, I 2 : 60% and I 3 : 80% from available soil moisture depletion (ASMD), at sandy and calcareous soils, on yield, yield components and some water relations of wheat crop (Giza 168). A split plot design with four replications was used in both seasons. The obtained results showed that using 100 kg N fed -1 at 40% ASMD gave the highest averages of plant height, spike number m -2 , 1000-garin weight, spike weight m -2 , straw yield fed -1 (2011.4 and 2334.1 kg fed -1 ) in sandy soils (Site 1), and (2539.5 and 2716.7 kg N fed -1 ) in calcareous soils (Site 2), and grain yield fed -1 (1888.4 and 2077.4 kg fed -1 ) in Site 1 and (2209.4 and 2468 kg fed -1 ) in Site 2, in the two successive seasons, respectively. The lowest averages of yield and its components were obtained from applying 80 kg N fed -1 and irrigation at 80 % ASMD, at the two sites in both seasons. Seasonal consumptive use (ET C ) averages were 44.47 and 43.95 cm in 1 st season and 45.53 and 45.17 cm in 2 nd season, in both sites, respectively. The highest ET C values were recorded with the interaction (F 2 I 1 ), whereas, the lowest values resulted from the interaction (F 1 I 3 ) in all sites and seasons. Daily ET C rates were low during November and December, then increased during January and February, to reach its maximum values during March and then declined again at April till harvesting. The values of daily ET C decreased due to decreasing ammonia gas rate in the two growing season's months. The crop coefficient (K C ) values (averages of the two seasons) were 0.47, 0.54, 0.66, 0.70, 0.87, 0.67 and 0.47 in the Site 1 and 0.47, 0.55, 0.63, 0.67, 0.86, 0.67 and 0.49 in the Site 2, for, Nov., Dec., Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr. and May, respectively. The highest water use efficiency, i.e., 0.96 and 1.04 kg grains m -3 water consumed at the Site 1, and 1.14 and 1.24 kg grains m -3 water consumed at the Site 2, were obtained from (F 2 I 1 ) treatments in first and second seasons, respectively. Key wards: wheat yield, yield components, ammonia gas rates, irrigation regime, sandy soils, calcareous soil. INTRODUCTIONWheat is one of the most important cereal crops in the world. In Egypt, its production does not meet the current demand so, the Egyptian government is doing great efforts to reduce the gap between production and consumption.