Antar A. S., M. A.F. Aiad., S.A. El-Saady and M. A. Abd EL Aziz ( 2013). Productivity of sugar beet and faba bean in relation to some soil and water table characterisics. J, of Soil Sciences and Agricultural Engineering. Mansoura Univ. Vol. 4 (10): 1009-1020.
Abstract: Two field experiments were conducted at North Nile Delta (Kafr El-Shiek Governorate, Egypt), during the two successive seasons 2011 and 2012 to appraise the effect of distance from drain line on some soil properties and characteristics of sugar beet and faba bean crops, as will as determined the relation between the studied parameters. The main results could be summarized as follows:
1)The drop of water table level was faster above drain line than midway between drain lines. Where water table depth were 95.7, 71.3 and 57.9 cm under sugar beet and were 99.3, 70.3 and 55.9 cm under faba bean for above drain line, 1/4 and 1/2 distance from drain line, respectively.
2)A higher reduction of soil and water table salinity and soil moisture content was recorded above drain line more than that at 1/4 and 1/2 distances from drain line.
3) Gross sugar yield of sugar beet were higher by 360 and 530 Kg fed-1 and seed yield of faba bean were higher by 245 and 410 Kg fed-1 above drain line than at 1/4 and 1/2 distances from drain line, respectively.
4) A highly significant positive correlations were found between water table depth and characteristics of sugar beet (root length, root yield and gross sugar) and faba bean (root length, seeds yield and straw yield) crops. Also, a highly significant positive correlations were found among soil and water table salinity and soil moisture content.
5)A highly significant negative correlations were found between water table depth and water table salinity, soil salinity and/or soil moisture content. Also, similar correlations were detected among characteristics of sugar beet and faba bean plants and water table salinity, soil salinity and with moisture content. Conclusion: Sugar beet and faba bean characteristics are mainly dependent on soil properties, such as water table depth and salinity, soil salinity and moisture content. Whereas, decreasing the distance towards the drain line result in lowering of water table level, soil salinity and moisture content that led to improve soil properties and consequently improve sugar beet and faba bean yields.
Keywords: (Drainage, Moisture, Clay Soil, Yield, Root Length, Sugar Beet, Faba Bean.)
