Antar, S. A.; H. A. Khafagi; I. E. Nasr El-Din and I. A. El-Saiad ( 2012). Effect of tile drainage and laser land leveling on some soil properties and production of sugar beet and wheat crops. J, of Soil Sciences and Agricultural Engineering. Vol. 3 (1): 1-15.
Abstract: A field experiment was conducted at North Nile Delta, Kafr El-Shiek Governorate, Egypt, to evaluate the effect of distance from drain line and land leveling on some soil physio-chemical properties, yields and N-uptake for sugar beet and wheat crops. Results indicated that the drop of water table level was faster above the drain than between the drains. Mean values of water table depth were 88, 65 and 52cm for above drain, 1/4 and 1/2 distance from drain line, respectively, under sugar beet plant. The corresponding values under wheat plant were 90, 66 and 55cm. The effect of distance from drain on soil salinity and sodcity are more pronounced in above drain. The reduction of soil salinity above drain were 0.89 and 1.60 dS/m under beet, and were 0.91 and 1.32 dS/m under wheat than 1/4 and 1/2 distance from drain, respectively. The corresponding values of ESP were 1.9 and 2.88 with beet and 2.41 and 3.31 with wheat, respectively. Laser land leveling not realized different for soil salinity and sodcity.
Soil bulk density above the drains was lower than that between drains. Mean values of bulk density under sugar beet were 1.18, 1.25 and 1.29 gcm-3 for above drain, 1/4 and 1/2 distance from drain, respectively. The corresponding values were 1.20, 1.28 and 1.31 gcm-3 under wheat plant. Laser land leveling caused increase of soil bulk density than traditional leveling by 6.06 and 5.79% for beet and wheat, respectively. Infiltration rate and Hydraulic conductivity (K) above the drain line were higher than between drains. Basic IR values were 1.08, 0.91 and 0.77 cm h-1 under beet and 1.18, 0.89 and 0.75 cm h-1 under wheat for above drain, 1/4 and 1/2 distance from drain line, respectively. Laser land leveling led to reduce IR and K. Basic IR values were 0.55 and 0.78 cm h-1 with beet and 0.51 and 0.76 cm h-1 with wheat, for laser and traditional leveling, respectively. Laser land leveling led to decrease K by 1.6 and 1.9 cmday-1 for beet and wheat, respectively. QDP and SDP were higher above the drain and gradually decreased towards the midway between drains while, FCP were lower near the drains and increased far from the drains. Mean values of QDP, SDP and FCP were 13.16, 14.85 and 19.59%, respectively with above drains. The corresponding values, respectively were 9.93, 11.44 and 27.69% with 1/2 distances from drains. Laser leveling realized decrease for QDP, SDP and WHP and increase in FCP. The mean values of QDP, SDP and WHP were 8.80, 10.20 and 20.00% with laser land leveling and were 10.00, 11.70 and 22.31%, respectively with traditional leveling. FCP under laser leveling were higher than traditional leveling by 11.69%. Sugar beet and wheat yields were reduced far from drain line than above drain line. The average root yield of beet being 34.01, 32.02 and 31.24 tonfed-1 for above drain line, 1/4 and 1/2 distance from drain line, respectively. The corresponding values of wheat grain yield were 3.00, 2.76 and 2.52 ton fed-1, respectively. Laser land leveling were reduced root of sugar beet yield by 2.51 tonfed-1 compared to traditional leveling. While, laser land leveling were increased wheat grain yield by 16.95 % than traditional leveling. Gross sugar yield were higher above drain line by 0.36 and 0.53 tonfed-1 than 1/4 and 1/2 distance from drain line, respectively. Gross sugar yield was lower with laser land leveling than traditional land leveling by 0.49 ton fed-1. N-uptake by root of beet were higher above drain line by 3.11 and 4.7kgfed-1 than 1/4 and 1/2 distance from drain line, respectively. The corresponding values by grain wheat were 3.79 and 7.51 kgfed-1. N-uptake with laser and traditional land leveling, respectively were 54.35 and 56.64 kg fed-1 in root of beet and 42.99 and 36.83 kg fed-1 in grains of wheat.
Keywords: (Drainage, laser land leveling, clay soil, yield, N-uptake, sugar beet, wheat. )
