EFFECT OF IRRIGATION RATES AND PLANTING METHODS ON FORAGE YIELD AND WATER USE EFFICIENCY OF PEARL MILLET UNDER SEASONAL VARIATIONS IN MATROUH GOVERNORATE, EGYPT | ||
| Egyptian Journal of Desert Research | ||
| Article 1, Volume 75, Issue 2, December 2025, Pages 343-369 PDF (910.17 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejdr.2025.415287.1217 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Essam F. El-Hashash1; Mohamed A. Attia2; Karima M. El-Absy3; Ahmed M.A. Youssef* 4; Hassan M. El-Shaer5; Sobhy M.A. Sallam6 | ||
| 1Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt | ||
| 2Department of Plant Production, Desert Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt | ||
| 3Eco-physiology Unit, Department of Plant Ecology and Ranges, Desert Research Center, Cairo, Egypt | ||
| 4Department of Geophysical Exploration, Desert Research Center, Cairo, Egypt | ||
| 5Department of Animal and Poultry Nutrition, Desert Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt | ||
| 6Department of Animal and Fish Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, Egypt | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Effective planting methods and irrigation rates are essential for optimizing fodder production and resource use of pearl millet. Two field experiments were conducted in the 2023 and 2024 growing years in the west Matrouh region conditions, Matrouh Governorate, Egypt, to examine the effects of three planting techniques (hole farming, drill in row and broadcasting) and two irrigation rates (4760 and 5236 m³ per hectare) on the forage yield and water use efficiency traits at the three cuts, as well as the mean and total of the three cuts of the local pearl millet cultivar Shandaweel-1. Seasonal variations, irrigation rates, planting methods and their interactions had significant effects (p<0.05 or 0.01) on plant height (cm), number of (tillers/m²), fresh forage yield (ton/hectare), dry forage yield (ton/hectare), fresh forage water use efficiency (kg/m³) and dry forage water use efficiency (kg/m³) at most the three cuts, as well as the mean and total of the three cuts. The year and climate have a significant impact on the forage output and water use efficiency at the different cuts. The Shandaweel-1 pearl millet under the hole farming method produced greater fodder yield and water use efficiency than the drill in row and broadcasting planting methods at various cuts in both irrigation rates and growing seasons. The cultivar achieved a higher forage yield and dry forage water use efficiency under a 5236 m3 irrigation rate than a 4760 m³ irrigation rate, while dry forage water use efficiency increased with a 4760 m³ irrigation rate at the various cuts. There are positive and significant associations among most studied traits at all cuts. PCA based on the phenotypic correlation demonstrated the importance of studied factors as the main contributing traits for forage yield and water use efficiency of pearl millet. Generally, the pearl millet performed well under the hole farming method with a 5236 m3 irrigation rate at the three cuts, as well as the mean and total of the three cuts in the west Matrouh region conditions, Matrouh Governorate, Egypt. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Pearl millet; irrigation rates; planting methods; folder yield; water use efficiency; correlation; PCA analysis | ||
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