Water productivity of some cotton varieties and yield under different irrigation methods

Abstract EN

In the summer season of 2014 and 2015, two field trials were conducted at Sakha agricultural research station (31° 07' n latitude, 30° 05'e longitude), kafr el-sheikh governorate, north Nile delta, Egypt.

the research work aims to determine the differences among water productivity of various irrigation methods and their effect on yield and its components of some cotton varieties.

the experiment was split-plot design with four replications.

the irrigation methods were assigned in the main plot while cotton varieties were allocated in the subplots.

the traditional (i1) and alternative (i2) furrows as well as raised beds (i3) irrigation methods were used in this experiment.

the cotton varieties were Giza 86 (g86) and Giza 94 (g94) as a long staple category in addition to Giza 92(g92) and the promising variety [(giza84(Giza 70 ×51b)] × (pima 62) as an extra- long staple category.

the obtained results verified that the long staple cotton varieties showed higher value of seed and lint cotton yields, boll weight, lint percentage and seed index than the extra staple ones.

the g 94 variety produced the highest values of cotton seed and lint yields compared to the other tested varieties.

the raised bed irrigation method increased the seed and lint yields boll weight and lint percentage by 21, 28, 15 and 5% respectively, compared to the traditional furrow method.

it also increased the water productivity by 29% and about 14% of the applied irrigation water was saved compared to the traditional furrow irrigation method.

planting the g94 variety using the raised bed irrigation method achieved the highest values of seed and lint cotton yields, boll weight, lint percentage, irrigation water productivity, and minimum seasonal water consumptive use.

therefore, the raised bed is considered the most important farm practices with high yielding variety (g94) to enhance the water productivity and water conservation under the surface irrigation in north Nile delta, Egypt where water shortage at the end of irrigation canals.