PERFORMANCE OF AUTOMATIC CONTROL DIFFERENT LOCALIZED IRRIGATION SYSTEMS AND LATERAL LENGTHS FOR: 1- EMITTERS CLOGGING AND MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.) GROWTH AND YIELD

Abstract

Many parts of the world including Egypt currently suffer from water scarcity. For this reason
optimization of the available water has become a necessity not only from the point of limited water resources,
but also relative to the growing demand for food. Field experiments were conducted at Experimental Farm of
National Research Center, El-Nubaria, El-Buhaira Governorate, Western Delta, Egypt to study the effect of
automatic control of the localized irrigation system(LIS) as a modified system on emitter’s clogging and
maize parameters in new reclaimed lands by using the following treatments: a) Bubbler irrigation systems
(B); b) Low head drip irrigation system (LHD), and c) Mini-sprinkler irrigation system (MS) through
different lateral lengths (40, 50; 60m). Plants were irrigated every 4 days to compensate ETc and salt
leaching requirement took place. The obtained data showed that emitter’s clogging percentage could be
ranked in the ascending orders: LHD<B<MS for LIS and 40<50<60 for lateral lengths used. The highest
emitter’s clogging % was 14.25 % recorded under MS and the 10.68 % was recorded at B irrigation system.
Emitter’s clogging percent of lateral lengths treatments recorded 6.34, 12.27; 18.86 % under 40, 50; 60 m,
respectively. Vegetative growth and yield parameters (leaf area, plant height, leaf length, number of leaf
plant-1, grain and straw yield) LIS and lateral lengths used could be ranked in the following ascending order:
MS<LHD<B and 60<50<40 m for lateral length, respectively. LIS and different lateral lengths, were
recommend for planting maize under the treatment LHD X lateral length at 40 m that found to be suitable for
high production of grain and straw yield and using either B or MS according to their availability.