EFFECT OF IRRIGATION SYSTEMS IMPROVEMENT ON WATER UNIT PRODUCTIVITY UNDER NORTH DELTA REGION CONDITIONS OF EGYPT

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Soil Dept., Fac. Agric., Ain Shams Univ.

2 Soil Sci. Dept. Fac. of Agric., Ain Shams Univ., P.O. Box 68, Hadyek Shoubra 11241, Cairo, Egypt

3 Water Management Research Institute, National Water Research Center, Giza, Egypt

Abstract

Several field trials and laboratory studies were conducted to evaluate the impact of the implementation of the activities and processes of the development of the field irrigation systems at ElMahmoudia area, El-Beheira Governorate, Egypt, during the successful growing seasons winter 2016/17 and summer 2017 to investigate the effect of irrigation systems improvement projects on water productivity. The measurements were conducted in a tertiary canal (Mesqa) at the head of Nekla canal (Arafa Mousa Mesqa). Water consumption values for different crops were calcaulated, and water application was calculated through calibrating the capacities of the pumps and recording the operation hours. The most important results were as follows: Applied irrigation water decreased after irrigation improvement. Applied irrigation water for wheat, rice, maize, sweet potatoes and watermelon before irrigation improvement were higher than the corresponding values after irrigation improvement by 9.0%, 15%, 11%, 15% and 10% respectively. The productivity of wheat, rice, maize, sweet potatoes and watermelon increased after irrigation improvement by 7.0%, 4.0%, 3.0%, 8.0% and 9.0% respectively. Water productivity increased after irrigation improvement, and the increase ratios for wheat, rice, maize, sweet potatoes were 14.0%, 16.0%, 13.0%, 20.0%, and 18.0% respectively.

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