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Crop Production and Drainage in Conjunction with subsoiling Role in Deteriorated Egyptian Soil

Mohamed M. Moukhtar1, El-Sayed El-Hadidy2, and Mohamed A.B. El-Shewikh3

1 Land Drainage Res. Dept.Soils, Water Res.Inst., Agric.Res. Centre, El-Gammaa St., Egypt. mohamad_mokhtar@hotmail.com.
2
Soil Sci. Deprt., Fac. Of Agric., El-Mansoura Univ., El-Mansoura, Egypt.
3 Land Drainage Research Deprt., El-Serw Research Station, Agric. Res. Centre

Abstract

Drainage problems in northeastern parts of Egypt are associated with low-lying areas, clay to heavy clay soils with low permeability, saline to saline-sodic soils, shallow and salty ground water, often under artesian pressure. This study examines crop production as affected by drainage in conjunction with subsoiling types to maximize crop production and prevent soil deterioration. The field trial was three-drain spacing treatments, 15 m., 30 m. and 60 metres in conjunction with parallel or net subsoiling. The successively cultivated crops were wheat, sorghum, and clover.

Wheat plant height, number of tillers and dry weight of plant were significantly increased with decreasing drainage spacing, and subsoiling method was highly significant. The net (cross hatched subsoiling) treatments are more effective than parallel treatments. Total yield of wheat also increased with decreasing drain spacing and subsoilng treatments. Sorghum plant height, dry matter and yield show a highly significant increase with decreasing drain spacing and subsoiling type treatments. The best treatment is net subsoiling combined with 15 m drain spacing. Clover fresh or dry weights at second or third cut are increased with decreasing drain spacing treatments increases with net subsoiling treatments.

Media summary

Narrow drain spacing in conjunction with net subsoiling improves crop production on degraded soil of low permeability.

Keywords

Crop traits, Tile drainage, Subsoiling layouts, Salty clay soil, Deteriorated soil

Introduction

The northeastern parts of Egypt are considered problematic areas. The main problems are associated with low-lying areas, clay to heavy clay soils with low permeability, saline to saline-sodic soils, shallow and salty ground water, often under artesian pressure. Drainage is an important factor in overcoming these problems. In general, studies in the north part of the Delta indicated that the water table and ground salinity are higher than in southern regions (Abdel-Aal, 1995 and Moukhtar et al, 1998 &2000). Generally in ground water, the dominant ions are chloride and sodium and magnesium usually exceeds calcium. The aim of this study is to evaluate improved soil condition resulting from drainage to maximize crop production and prevent soil deterioration.

Materials and Methods

The field trial was carried out on 8.4ha at El-Serw Research station, in the northeastern Delta and was designed with three-drain spacing treatments, 15 m., 30 m. and 60 metres. The sub-main treatments represented two types of subsoiling, parallel and net subsoiling all 1.5 metres apart and 50 cm depth, thus the net (crisscrossed) treatment had twice the length of parallel subsoiling treatment. The successively cultivated crops were wheat, sorghum, and clover. Total yield including straw and grain was determined. Sorghum plant samples were taken randomly from each plot to determine fresh weight and dry matter. For clover, each cut was measured for fresh and dry weight. The crop production data was analyzed statistically.

Results and discussion

Wheat:

Plant heights as well as dry matter content increased significantly with decreasing drain spacing treatments. Subsoiling types were highly significant on the plant height (Figure1a & b). The ‘net’ treatment had more effect on plant height than the parallel treatment. Drain spacing and subsoiling treatment interactions had no significant effect on wheat plant height. The total number of tillers per plant increased significantly with decreasing drain spacing treatments (Table 1). The subsoiling layouts are highly significant for plant tillers number and the net treatment is more effective for plant tillers than parallel treatment. The total yield increased with decreasing drain spacing treatments (table 1). The subsoiling type has a highly significant effect on wheat yield; the net treatment is more effective for wheat yield than parallel treatment. Wheat grain yield is increased with decreasing drain spacing treatments (Figure 1c). The subsoiling layout is highly significant for wheat grain yield. The net treatment is more effective for wheat grain yield than parallel treatment. The wheat straw yield is increased with decreasing drain spacing treatments (Figure1d). The subsoiling layout/design is highly significant for wheat straw yield; also, net treatment is more effective for wheat straw yield than parallel treatment.

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

Figure (1). Wheat as affected by drain spacing and subsoiling treatment, winter season 96/97: (a) Plant height. (b) Dry matter. (c) Grain Yield and (d) Straw Yield.

Table (1). Number of tillers and total yield of wheat as affected by drainage and subsoiling treatments.

Drainage (D)

Mean number of tillers /plant

Mean total yield of wheat (Ton/feddan)

Subsoiling (S) Type

No

Parallel

Net

No

Parallel

Net

15 m

3.23

3.73

3.57

4.920

5.843

6.490

30 m

2.90

3.37

3.97

4.420

5.267

5.827

60 m

2.57

4.70

5.07

4.220

4.923

5.313

Subsoiling (S) mean

2.90

3.93

4.20

4.520

5.328

5.877

Comparison

LSD (5 %)

LSD (1 %)

LSD (5 %)

LSD (1 %)

2-S mean

0.54

0.75

0.4676

0.6554

Sorghum

Sorghum response showed similar results to those of wheat as shown in Fig 2 a,b, and c.

(a)

(b)

(c)

Figure (2). Sorghum as affected by drain spacing and subsoiling treatment, summer season 96/97: (a) Plant height. (b) Dry matter and ( C) Sorghum Yield.

Clover

Clover likewise, followed a similar response, see Figure 3 & 4 : a & B

(a)

(b)

Figure (3). Clover fresh weight [(a) second & (b) third cut] versus drain spacing and subsoiling treatments.

Effect of treatments on W.T. Dept

Figure (5). Watertable depth during different seasons as affected by drain spacing and subsoiling type treatments.

The closer the drain spacing with the subsoiling in two directions showed the faster and greater response of water table reduction (see Figure 5).

Similarly closer drain spacing with subsoiling in two directions had a larger greater effect on soil salinity (see Figures 6 (a) & (b)).

(a)

(b)

Figure (6 ). Surface soil salinity as affected by drain spacing and subsoiling in the year of: (a) 96/97 & (b) 97/98.

Conclusion

The best treatment was drain spacing at 15 m combined with net subsoiling. However, wider drain spacing (30 m) combined with net subsoiling gives satisfactory results in lowering watertable and reducing salinity and this will also reduce drainage costs. Auxiliary subsoiling treatments are beneficial with any drainage system in the management of low permeability heavy clay soils.

A cost benefit analysis of the different treatments needs to be made as a subsequent study.

References

Abdel-Aal AIN. (1995). Macro and micro-morphological studies on the water table affected layer in some soils of Egypt. Ph.D. Thesis, Fac. Agric., Cairo University.

El-Hakim M H, Moukhtar MM, Moustafa MKH and El-Shewikh MB. (1990). Groundwater salinity variations during irrigation intervals in northeastern Delta. Egypt. J. Appl. Sci.5: 140-149.

Moukhtar M M, El-Hakim M H, Abdel-Mawgoud ASA and Ismail MI (1995). Field experiment for restoring the productivity of a salty clay soil with saline groundwater. International Symposium on Salt-Affected Lagoon Ecosystem, 18- 25/9/1995, Valancia, Spain.

Moukhtar MM, Abdel-Aal AIN. and Abdel-Mawgoud ASA (2000). Crop productivity and Drainage in deteriorated soil of Egypt. Iner. Cong. Crop Sci., Hambourg, Germany.

Moukhtar MM, El-Hakim MH and Abdel-Aal AIN (1998). Drainage for Soil Conservation. Advances in GeoEcology 31: 509-513.

Spoor G (1999). Nature of heavy soils and potential drainage problems. Amer. Soc. Of Agronomy, Crop Sci. Soc. Of Amer., Soil Sci. of Amer. 677 S Segoe Rd. Madison WI 53711, USA. Agricultural Drainage.

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