Conjunctive use of rainfall and irrigation for wheat crop in North Nile Delta

Ibrahim M. Abdel–Fattah (1) and Dalia A. Elhag(2)

Abstract

To find out the impact of rainfall and irrigation on wheat crop and its water functions, a field trial was carried out at Sakha Agricultural Research Station, North Nile Delta during the two seasons 2015/16 and 2016/17. Treatment Awhichconsists of rainfall only has the lowest applied water (Wa), consumption use (CU) and crop yield, The traditional irrigationtreatment E consists of no missing irrigation at any growth stage.Average contributionof rainfall in water applied was52.5, 32.4, 32.8, 32.3 and 27.1% for treatments A, B ( skipping irrigationduring vegetation), C (skipping irrigation during flowering stage), D (missing irrigation during milking stage) and E (no skipping irrigation), respectively. Skipping irrigation during vegetation stage caused a slightdecrease in wheat yield. In comparison with thetraditional treatment, mean water savings were 48.5, 16.5, 17.4 and 16.3 %, while the decrease in crop yield was 43.4, 21.2, 11.2 and 5.9 % for treatments A, B, C and D, respectively. Most of yield components showed similar trends with those of applied water. Rainfall in the area could partially offset the water needs of wheat crop decreasing the amount of applied irrigation water and ultimately increasing the lifetime of irrigation network infrastructures.

Key words

conjunction use of rainfall and irrigation, water productivity, productivity of applied water and water saving.