Improving water harvesting techniques in Wadi El Ramlmatrouh-Egypt

Abstract EN

A water harvesting machine was manufactured to be suitable for rainfall water harvesting in farm through different techniques under rainfed agriculture conditions to maximize crop and water productivity.

Field experiments were established at Wadi El Raml, Matrouh Governorate in 2014 and 2015 growing winter seasons to plant wheat crop (Sakha94) variety as an indicators for evaluating water harvesting techniques.

The water harvesting machine was studied through different water harvesting techniques by using three geometric reservoirs shapes (triangle, trapezoid and half circle) under three forward speeds.

Water harvesting techniques were compared with the traditional method in terms of moisture content, water storage, runoff volume, water use efficiency, crop yield and the operational costs.

The experimental results for the successful season (2015) reveal to the following: For water harvesting machine parameters: The lowest speed 2.5km/hr., with geometric reservoir shapes (half circle) refereed to achieve the optimum reservoirs shape in soil.

For water harvesting techniques parameters.

Water harvesting technique (WHCCSc) which used compacted catchment area for target area with creating half circle shape in the target area is considered the optimum technique to be used by the new manufacturing machine to achieve the highest value of harvested water and crop yield.