IMPROVEMENT OF ON-FARM IRRIGATION WATER USE EFFICIENCY BASED ON RECENT APPROACHES

Abstract

The field experiment was conducted at Wadi El-Natroon station of Water Management Research Institute, El-Behera Governorate, Egypt, to study the effect of surface and subsurface drip irrigation on onion yield and which would be the most appropriate irrigation level with effective depth of drip tape line and plant population. Data reviewed that onion yield production has been increased by about 15-25 % under surface drip comparing with sub-surface drip. Moreover, water saving had been increased by about 27% by using a developed criteria compared with a traditional calculation way of crop water requirement (Cropwat 8.1, FAO ). In addition, WUE had been improved by using the developed criteria, besides bulb size that called marketable yield was highest by using surface drip irrigation with a developed criteria. The obtained results revealed that: A clear difference is noticed between the calculated values of a developed criteria data range and the traditional method FAO. In the same time, the data recorded in two successive seasons, data show that surface drip irrigation was better than subsurface drip with 6 rows per lateral and had a mixed sizing bulb although 4 row per lateral had a large bulbs and 8 row per lateral had a small bulbs almost. The highest values of Kc in the initial stage was 0.78 and 0.76, in the mid-season was 1.15, 1.14 and 1.13and the end stage 1.15, 1.02 and 0.93respectively. The highest values of ks in initial stages was 1.1 and 1 , in mid-stages was 0.99 and 0.96 and in the ending stage was 0.96 and 0.94. The tendency of water distribution and its average content in the soil profile increase relevant to the irrigation under the CROPWAT 8.1 comparing with A developed criteria.

Keywords: Onion,Drip irrigation, Surface and subsurface drip irrigation, Water regime, Plant population, Vegetable crops. Agricultural water productivity, A developed criteria.