Hydrogel Application as a Sustainable Strategy to Improve Maize Yield and Water Productivity under Deficit Irrigation in Uralsk, Kazakhstan | ||
| Egyptian Journal of Soil Science | ||
| Volume 65, Issue 3, September 2025, Pages 1683-1698 PDF (1015.78 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejss.2025.399948.2245 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Ashraf E. Elnamas* 1; Saule Rakhimgaliyeva2; Altyn Esbulatova2; Torebek Baibatyrov2; Farahat s. Moghanm3; Mahrous M. Kandil1 | ||
| 1Soil and water department, Faculty of Agriculture, Alex. University, Alexandria, Egypt | ||
| 2Zhangir khan West Kazakhstan Agrarian - Technical University, Kazakhstan | ||
| 3Soil and Water Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh 33516, Egypt | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Shortage of water ranks among the most significant problems facing the world in arid and semi-arid regions, especially the western areas of Kazakhstan. Field experiment was conducted in sequential two crop seasons of 2023 and 2024, on trial fields of Zhangir Khan West Kazakhstan Agrarian-Technical University, Uralsk, Kazakhstan. This two crop growing seasons experiment was conducted, to explore the effects of different levels of hydrogel and deficit irrigation on yield, yield attributes, amount of applied water, water use efficiency (WUE), and economic analysis of maize crop grown in sandy soils. Field trials were conducted in RCBD with varying rates of hydrogel application (0 H0, 0.1% H1, 0.2% H2, and 0.4% H3 w/w; equivalent to 0, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 g/kg soil) and three irrigation regimes (full irrigation at 100% ETc (E1), moderate deficit at 80% ETc (E2), and severe deficit at 60% ETc (E3). This trial showed that hydrogel is highly beneficial in increasing water retention capacity in sandy soil, delaying wilting time, and increasing biomass and grain yield under conditions of moisture stress. The combination of 0.4% hydrogel and full irrigation (H3E1) gave the highest maize yield and growth indices, namely plant height, leaf area index, and number of ears per plant. However, applying hydrogel at 0.4% under severe deficit irrigation,60% ETc, (H3E3) on the other hand, increased the WUE value to1.33 kg/m³ compared to 0.74 kg/m³ in the control (no hydrogel, full irrigation). The ETc for seasonal maize was 730.3 mm and 779.0 mm for 2023 and 2024, respectively, whereas irrigation requirements were 575.3 mm and 611.0 mm, respectively, implying the need for supplemental irrigation. Water deficit application of hydrogel can conserve water with minimal yield loss. Intermediate treatments with hydrogel at low to moderate concentration rates (0.1-0.2%) and 80% ETc irrigation supported acceptable yields and significantly enhanced WUE (above 1.2 kg/m³). The hydrogel application along with varying irrigation treatments improved profitability and water productivity in a two-year study. While having a higher cost, treatments with hydrogel improved net returns by up to 37% and increased water use efficiency. This study brings out that in the face of inter-annual climatic variability, water should be applied based on real-time data of evapotranspiration. Above all, the aim of study provides evidence in favor of technological adoption, i.e., hydrogel application together with regulated deficit irrigation, as sustainable means to improve maize yields and conservation of water resources in the arid and semi-arid regions. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Hydrogel; Water use efficiency; Drought stress; Maize yield; Western Kazakhstan; Soil moisture retention; Water productivity | ||
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