Maximize Water Productivity Using Aquaculture Water for Sesame Crop Under Drip Irrigation Systems

Abstract

Aquaculture has become an important economic activity in many countries, so the main aim of the present research is to study the effect of using aquaculture drainage as non-traditional source for promoting sesame crop yield. Experiments were carried out on sesame crop in sandy soil of Wadi El-Natroon using two water resources (well and aquaculture) with different nitrogen fertilizer ratios (20, 60 and 100%) under drip irrigation systems (surface and subsurface). The effect of previous parameters was evaluated in terms of the amount of applied water, water use efficiency, nitrogen use efficiency, crop characteristics (capsule number/plant, plant length, total seed yield) added to economic analysis. Experimental results revealed that aquaculture drainage gave the best results in all aspects compared to the use of well water. Water use efficiency was increased by increasing nitrogen fertilizer rate, while vice versa was observed with nitrogen use efficiency. The optimum obtained conditions for sesame crop were noticed by using aquaculture drainage with 60 % nitrogen fertilizer rate resulting in 40% fertilizer saving comparing with well water. These previous conditions gave (0.21 and 0.2 kg/m 3) water use efficiency, (5.11 and 4.61 kg/kg) nitrogen use efficiency, (465.33 and 418.33 kg/fad.) crop yield with (10983 and 10093 LE/fad.) net return and (5.01 and 4.91 LE/m 3) water productivity for surface and sub-surface irrigation systems, respectively.