Abstract :
An experiment was conducted at Sebha Agricultural Research Center –Libya during the 2008 and 2009 summer growing seasons under sprinkler irrigation system to assess the effect of rows spacing (30,40 and 50 cm)) and nitrogen rates (60, 90,120 and 150kg /ha) on grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of pearl millet in sandy soil. Results indicated that there were significant effects (p≤0.05) of rows spacing on plant height, panicle length, number of panicles/m2, grain weight per panicle, 1000-grain weight and grain yield per hectare as well as nitrogen use efficiency in both seasons of study. Sowing pearl millet at 30 cm between rows gave the highest values the abovementioned traits in both seasons of study except grain weight per panicle and 1000-grain weight which performed well under the lowest plant density (50 cm between rows). Growth, yield and its components traits were increased significantly (p≤0.05) with increasing nitrogen rates up to 150 kg /ha. Applying N at 60,90,120 and 150 kg/ha resulted in NUE of 23.61,17.43,14.01 and 11.99 kg grains/kg applied nitrogen in 2008 season, being 24.46,17.72,14.00 and 11.89 kg grains/kg applied nitrogen in 2009 season, respectively. The maximum grain yields (2063.2 and 2110.2 kg /ha in 2008 and 2009 seasons, respectively) were registered from pearl millet plants sown at 30 cm apart rows and fertilized by 150 kg N/ha. While, the highest values of NUE (27.48 and 27.28 kg grains/kg N applied in 2008 and 2009 seasons, respectively) were obtained from peal millet plants which sowing at 30 cm apart rows and fertilized by 60 kg N/ha.
