Agricultural practices for maize crop water production under pivot irrigation in Toshka, Egypt

Document Type : Research article

Authors

Department of Soils and Water, Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University, Assiut 71524, Egypt

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Toshka area in Aswan government, South Egypt to study the effect of tillage and gypsum practices on maize production for two seasons 2020 and 2021. The treatments were deep tillage without gypsum (DT), deep tillage with gypsum (DT+G), surface tillage without gypsum (ST) and surface tillage with gypsum (ST+G). The yield parameters were determined as well as maize water relations. The tillage treatments affect maize yield and its components. The highest maize straw or grain production was realized at surface tillage with gypsum application for both seasons, followed by deep tillage without gypsum, then deep tillage with gypsum, and lasted by surface tillage without gypsum. The highest value of grain yield (5.43ton ha-1) was recorded at ST+G treatment in the 1st season. The lowest value of grain yield (4.19ton ha-1) was recorded at ST treatment in the 1stseason. The water consumptive use (CU) of maize was decreased by agricultural practices (deep tillage and gypsum application) during both growing seasons. The highest value of crop water productivity, CWP, (0.93 kg/ m3 water) was recorded at deep tillage with gypsum applied (DT+G) in the 1st season. The lowest value of CWP (0.69 kg / m3 water) was recorded at surface tillage without gypsum application (ST) in the 1st season. The positive effect of tillage treatments and gypsum application on soil moisture constants (SP, FC, WP, and AW) could be arranged in the descending order of DT+G > ST+G >DT >ST. It could be concluded that tillage practices and gypsum application enhanced soil properties whether physical or chemical and increased soil fertility as well as realized high maize production with minimum irrigation water application. It was noticed that the best treatment was deep tillage with gypsum application.

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