Irrigation water regime and manure extract for wheat production grown under drip irrigation

A field experiment was carried out at the Experimental Farm of Arab El- Awammer Research Station, Agriculture Research Center, Assiut, Egypt during two consecutive growing seasons of 2017/18 and 2018/19. The aim is to study the effect of two manure extract (chicken manure and sheep manure extract) and two wheat varieties (Giza-171 and Misr-1) irrigated with drip irrigation at 100, 80 and 60% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc) on their traits and yields and as well as water productivity. The seasonal irrigation water applied as average of both seasons was 2488.1, 1990.5 and 1492.9 m3/feddan (feddan = 0.420 hectares = 1.037 acres) for 100, 80 and 60 % ETc, respectively. Irrigated wheat crop at 100% ETc significantly increased wheat yield and its components compared to 80 or 60% ETc. The addition of manure extract specially sheep manure extract boosted wheat yield and its traits. Crop water productivity was positively affected by either irrigation water or manure extract application. On the average basis, water productivity was 0.53, 0.62 and 0.69 kg/ m3 for control, chicken and sheep manure extract, respectively in the 1st season. They were 0.63, 0.74 and 0.83 kg/ m3 for the corresponding treatments in the 2nd season. It was observed that adding sheep manure extract to wheat plants irrigated at 100 ETc was the best agriculture practice that produce higher wheat yield as well as high crop water productivity.