Productivity and profitability of modern irrigation methods through the application of on-farm drip irrigation on some crops in the Northern Nile Delta of Egypt

Irrigation method has a great effect on water consumption, productivity and profitability of certain crops. Egypt is suffering from water scarcity, it is of great importance to apply modern irrigation techniques to achieve highest productivity with optimum water consumption. This research aims at evaluating the compare drip and surface irrigation systems in old lands of medium salinity in the Nile Delta, determining the best irrigation method to achieve the highest water productivity and optimum water consumption. A field experiment is performed in summer and winter seasons of 2020/2021. Soil and water characteristics are determined through representative sampling. The results show the differences in total cost of producing different summer and winter crops under tested irrigation systems. Surface irrigation system total cost was increased, while drip irrigation system total cost was decreased under all treatments with 29% to 54% based on the crop type. Also, drip irrigation gave more efficient water uses and water saving under different summer and winter crops. Hence, Drip irrigation system increased the value of water use efficiency, while surface irrigation system gave high value of productivity compared with drip irrigation system, due to higher salinity, additional leaching water used to control soil salinity

Effect of Planting Dates and Planting Methods on Water Relations of Wheat

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the uppermost cereal grain crop considered as a major stable food for the Egyptian people. Field experiments were conducted during two consecutive winter seasons of 2017-18 and 2018-19 to study the effect of two planting dates (PD) (20th of November and 20th of December) under four different planting methods (PM) (bed broadcast, flat broadcast, drill at 15 cm, and drill at 25 cm apart rows) on the productivity and water relations of wheat genotype (Egypt 1). The study is intended to assess the water relations for wheat planting dates and planting methods and determine the role of late planting date and planting methods on wheat productivity. Results showed that the values of grain yields and some attributed yields were highly significantly affected by planting dates and methods in the two growing seasons. Planting wheat at the optimal date (20th November) was better than sowing at the late date (20th December) for all values obtained from the studied parameters in both seasons of the study. The bed broadcast planting method gave the highest mean values for all studied parameters except the plant height which was recorded with drilling seeds at a 15 cm planting method in the two growing seasons. The highest values of water applied were recorded with the first date under the borders planting method (PD1M2), while the lowest of Aw recorded was from beds planting method with the second date. The highest mean values for WP were recorded with the bed broadcast planting method