Water Saving and Increasing Water Productivity Using New Planting Methods for Wheat Crop

Abstract

Two field experiments were conducted during two successive winter seasons of 2018/2019 and 2019/2020, to estimate the effect of four planting methods (PM) i.e. traditional method and three treatments as a new technique on growth, yield, and its attributes and some water relations as well as the net return of wheat crop. The study consisted of the following treatments; planting methods: i) flat planting (M1), ii) raised bed furrows 80 cm (M2) with three rows of plants, 15 cm apart and 10 cm between hills, iii) narrow beds (M3) (raised bed furrows 100 cm) with four rows of plants, 15 cm apart and 10 cm between hills, iv) medium beds (M4) (raised bed furrows 120 cm) with five rows of plants, 15 cm apart and 10 cm between hills (wide beds).The results showed that the highest values of plant height, grain weight/spike, number of spikes/m 2 , 1000-grains weight, and grain and straw yield kg ha -1 recorded in treatment M3 and the lowest values were recorded in M1. Compared with treatment M1, There was a significant increase of grain yield by 11.77, 13.77, and 9.88% and straw yield by 4.45, 7.79, and 6.68% for treatments M2, M3, and M4, respectively, also, water saving for M2, M3 and M4 were 17.18, 21.53, and 23.19% respectively. The highest values of water productivity were recorded in M3 (1.53 kg m -3 ), while the lowest (1.06 kg m -3 ) was recordrd in M1. M3 had the highest values of the total return and net return.