Optimizing Forage Yield, Quality and Water Use Efficiency in Pearl Millet through Planting Pattern and Nitrogen Management | ||
| Egyptian Journal of Agronomy | ||
| Volume 47, Issue 4, December 2025, Pages 1253-1265 PDF (801.9 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/agro.2025.395829.1730 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Rafea Ibrahim Ahmed El Zanaty1; Hoda Abdalla Aly Ibrahim* 1; Tarek Abd El-Aziz2; Mohamed Ewis3; Mayar Esmail4 | ||
| 1Agronomy dept., Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt | ||
| 2Forage Crops Research Department, field crops Research Institute (FCRI), Agricultural Research Center (ARC), Egypt. | ||
| 3Water Requirements and Field Irrigation Research Department, Soils, Water and Environment Research Institute (SWERI), Agricultural Research Center (ARC), Egypt | ||
| 4Forage Crops Research Department, field crops Research Institute (FCRI), Agricultural Research Center (ARC), Egypt | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Two field experiments were conducted at the Experimental Farm of Sids, Agricultural Research Station, Beni-Suief, Egypt, through the summer seasons of 2022 and 2023 to evaluate three planting patterns (ridges, raised beds, and drilling) and five nitrogen fertilization treatments: B1 (90 kg N fed-1 mineral fertilizer; control), B2 (bio-fertilizer + 90 kg N fed-1), B3 (bio-fertilizer + 67.5 kg N fed-1), B4 (bio-fertilizer + 45 kg N fed-1), and B5 (bio-fertilizer + 22.5 kg N fed-1) on productivity and some water relations of forage pearl millet (c.v. Shandweel.1). The experiment followed a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) in strip plots with three replications, where planting patterns were assigned to vertical strips and fertilization treatments to horizontal ones. Results indicated that ridges pattern increased significantly total dry yield by 10.88% and 11.63% and the total protein yield by 12.65% and 12.96% as compared to raised beds and drilling patterns, respectively. Application of B2 increased significantly total dry yield by 2.25, 18.68, 32.69, and 49.60% and total protein yield by 4.69, 20.56, 35.16, and 52.16% as compared with the other fertilization treatments, respectively. The raised bed planting pattern saved approximately 19.49% and 19.55%, while the ridge planting pattern saved 11.43% and 11.23% of applied irrigation water compared to the drilling pattern in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, respectively. Ridges surpassed significantly beds and drilling patterns for water use efficiency by 7.33% and 17.28%, respectively. Ridges with B2 recorded the highest significant values for water productivity and water use efficiency of dry yield. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Pearl millet; Planting pattern; Fertilization; Yield; Quality and Water relations | ||
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