Effect of Planting Methods on Productivity of Three Rice Cultivars and Irrigation Water Use Efficiency in North Delta

Abstract

Two field experiments were conducted at Water Management Research Station at El-Karada, Kafrelshiekh, Egypt, during 2009 and 2010 seasons, to study the effect of three planting patterns on productivity of three rice cultivars (Sakha101, Sakha105 and Hybrid 1) and some water relations. Rice seedling were transplanted in hills with the optimum plant population (25hills/m 2) and distributed on flat soil (Traditional method), two sides of 60 cm ridges and two sides of 80 cm beds. The three rice cultivars exhibited significant differences in grain and straw yields in both seasons. The Hybrid 1 cultivar out-yielded the other two cultivars in the two seasons. There was no significant difference in grain and straw yields between Sakha101, Sakha105 cultivars. However, the three rice cultivars did not differ in harvest index in both seasons. Planting methods had no significant effect on grain yield, straw yield and harvest index in the two seasons. Although, beds pattern was equivalent to traditional method in grain yield, beds pattern was lower in amount of applied irrigation water and it saved 2790 and 2501 m 3 /fed applied water than the traditional method in the two seasons. Water application efficiency for grain yield was increased by application of beds irrigations compared with traditional irrigation. The cultivar Sakha105 recorded the lowest amount of applied irrigation water at any planting patterns. The cultivar hybrid1 transplanted on beds recorded the highest water use efficiency in both seasons. It can be concluded that transplanting the rice cultivar " hybrid1" on two sides of 80 cm beds was the recommended for optimum grain yield with less amount of applied irrigation water at Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate. Ahmed, A. A. and M. E. Meleha (2012). Response of rice productivity to mineral and organic fertilizers under two planting methods .