EFFECT OF WATER DEPLETION AND ORGANIC FERTILIZATION ON SOIL PROPERTIES AND BOTH PRODUCTIVITY WATER AND MAIZE YIELD

Field experiments were conducted in Gemmeiza Agriculture Research Station Farm, Gharbeia Governorate, Agriculture Research Center, located between Latitude 30° 58′ 56″ N Longitude 30° 57′ 8″ E during summer growing season of 2020/2021 to elucidate the effects of soil available water depletion and soil differences in organic fertilization (chicken manure and water treatments residual) on maize yield and their residual impacts on soil physico-chemical characteristics and water use efficiency. The experiments were designed as split plot with three replicates. The main plots were occupied by available water depletion at (I1) 40, (I2) 60 and (I3) 80% of available water depletion, while sub plots were devoted to inorganic and organic fertilization. (T1) control (100% recommend nitrogen dose), (T2) water treatments residuals (5 ton ha-1) + (75% recommend nitrogen dose), (T3) chicken manure (5 ton ha-1) + (50% recommend nitrogen dose) and (T4) water treatments residuals (5 ton ha-1) + chicken manure (5 ton ha-1) + (25% recommend nitrogen dose). The main results can be summarized as follows: Irrigation at 40 and 60% available water depletion(AWD) and combination of water treatment residuals and chicken manure improved the water use efficiency in ameliorating the soil physical and chemical properties, and could be considered as an ameliorating material for the clay soil. Results showed that, irrigation at 40 and 60% (AWD) and application of chicken manure (CK) and water treatments residuals WTR mixture gave a significant increase in yield (grain and straw), yield components (day to 50% silk , plant height , ear height , and 100 kernels weight), crud protein, N, P and K concentration as compared to the other treatments. Results indicated that the highest seasonal water applied and water consumptive value was recorded at 40% available soil moisture depletion (ASMD) treatment, while the lowest one was recorded at 80% ASMD treatment. The highest values of the irrigation water applied (IWA), were found to be 6917.05 and 6777.11 m3 ha-1 for the (I1) treatment in both growing seasons, respectively. Consumptive water use (CWU) was increased in the case of more frequent irrigation as in 40% (AWD) than the other two irrigation treatments. Also, the highest values of water use efficiency (WUE) (1.43 and 1.40 kg/m3) and water productivity (WP) (1.20 and 1.16) by using 60% of (AWD) respectively.