Water use optimisation based on the concept of Partial Rootzone Drying

Partial Rootzone Drying (PRD) is the creation of simultaneous wet and dry (or drying) areas within the root zone. Only part of the root zone is irrigated and kept moist at any one time. This new irrigation strategy allows the exploitation of drought-induced abscisic acid (ABA) based root to stomata signaling system to water saving. In this research, the PRD technique is examined and simulated for wheat and maize crops in the Mashtul Pilot Area (MPA), Egypt using Saltmed model. The technique causes the stimulation of physiological responses which are normally associated with water stress and this result in a significant reduction in water use through the production of chemical signals in drying roots. The results confirmed an increase in irrigation water productivity using PRD comparing with conventional flood irrigation. The research highly recommends applying the PRD method in new reclaimed areas in Egypt to save water and improve crop quality.