DRIP IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT FOR WHEAT PRODUCTION IN SANDY SOIL USING NUCLEAR TECHNIQUE UNDER SALINITY CONDITIONS

A field experiment was conducted in the experimental farm of Soil and Water Research Department, Nuclear Research Center, Atomic Energy Authority. Soil mulching and drip irrigation system are strategies for saving irrigation water. This trail was carried out during 2014/2015 winter season in Egypt to evaluate the effects of soil mulching and drip irrigation system on combating salinity and in the same time improving the yield and water-use efficiency by grown wheat crop (Triticum aestivum L.) cv Masr 2 variety in sandy soil. Treatments of water salinity, i.e. fresh water F (0.5 ds m⁻¹), S₁ (6 dSm⁻¹) and S₂ (8 dS m⁻¹) were applied under mulching (rice straw) or non-mulching soil. Each treatment was irrigated twice a week using a total amount of 440 mm during the growing season. Volumetric water content was measured using the neutron scattering technique to detect the soil wettability during the growing season. In general, wheat yield for non-mulched treatment irrigated by fresh water was (9.43Ardab.fad⁻¹) or 3366 Kg.ha⁻¹ higher than the mulched one irrigated with fresh water (9.04Ardab.fad⁻¹) or 3227 Kg.ha⁻¹ and also, it was higher than both mulched and non-mulched treatments irrigated with saline water of 6 and 8 dS.m⁻¹. Under saline irrigation, the wheat yield and water use efficiency of mulched treatments were higher than the non-mulched ones for both 6 and 8 dS.m⁻¹. In non- mulched conditions, the treatment irrigated by 6 dS.m⁻¹ recorded a higher production (6.75Ardab.fad⁻¹) or 2411 Kg.ha⁻¹ than the one irrigated by 8 dS.m⁻¹ (6.25 Ardab.fad⁻¹) or 2231 Kg.ha⁻¹ in the same sequence mulched treatment irrigated by 6 dS.m⁻¹ recorded a higher production (8.22 Ardab.fad⁻¹) or 2936 Kg.ha⁻¹ than the mulched one irrigated by 8 dS.m⁻¹ (7.1 Ardab.fad⁻¹) or 2573 Kg.ha⁻¹. The above results indicated that surface mulching could improve the growth and yield of wheat especially under saline irrigation by reducing soil evaporation which sustains soil wetness that enhances the wheat ability to combat salinity stress.