Evaluation of some barley varieties under different levels of soil moisture deficit [electronic resource].

Includes references.

Two field experiments were performed at Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, during the two growing seasons 2001/2002 and 2002/2003, to study the effect of irrigation after 50, 70 and 90% depletion in available soil moisture, on the productivity and some water relations of three barely varieties, namely, Giza 2000, Giza 126 and Giza 123. A split-plot design with four replicates was used. The main plots were assigned to the irrigation treatments, while the sub-plots were devoted to barley varieties. The obtained results revealed that: Irrigation barley plants after 50% depletion in available water significantly increased plant height, No. of spikes/m² , weight of grains/spike, spike length, 1000-grain weight, grain, straw and biological yields. Giza 2000 variety surpassed significantly than the other varieties, for all traits studied except spike length, which the difference with Giza 126 was not significant. Seasonal water consumptive use value were 32.06,28.12 and 22.85 cm, for irrigation after the depletion of 50, 70 and 90% in available soil moisture, respectively. water use efficiency values were increased as the soil moisture depletion increased. Most ofthe water consumed was removed from the upper layer (0-15 cm) of soil profile, denoting the zone of maximum root activity. Seasonal water consumptive use and the water uptake by barley roots did not markedly affect by varieties. Giza 2000 variety utilized water more efficiency than the other varieties. The relations between seasonal water use in cm (cu), grain yield (y₁) and water use efficiency (y₂) were linear. Also, the correlation coefficient was positively highly significant with grain yield (0.993), while it was negatively to water use efficiency (-0.984). Prediction equations were as follows: Y1 = 971.31 + 29.82 (Cu) Y2=10297 - 1.35 (Cu)

Summary in Arabic.

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