Effect of Irrigation Interval and Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilizers on Forage Yield and Water Productivity of Fodder Barley (Hordium vulgare L.) in Gezira

Abstract

An experiment was conducted during three consecutive
seasons viz 2003/04, 2004/05 and 2005/06, at Gezira Research Station
Farm (latitude 14°24'N, longitude 33°31'E, and altitude 405 m asl) to
determine the optimum irrigation interval and nitrogen and phosphorus
fertilization of barley (Hordium vulgare L.) for forage. Experimental
design was split-split plot design with three replications. Three irrigation
intervals, viz every 10 days (W1), 15 days (W2) and 20 days (W3) were
assigned to the main plots, two phosphorus levels, (0P) and 96 kg P 2 O5 /
ha (1P) were assigned to the subplots and three nitrogen levels (0N), 96
(1N) and 192 kg urea/ ha (2N) were assigned to the sub subplots. The
experiment was run during the 3 rd week of November, with a local variety
of barley (Baladi). Quantity of the applied water, dry matter yield at milk
stage and of dry forage water productivity (kg dry matter / m 3 of applied
water) were determined. The three years mean quantity of water applied
to the treatments W1, W2 and W3 were 4525, 4320 and 4290 m 3 / ha,
respectively. The dry matter yields of barley in the three seasons
decreased with increase of the irrigation interval. The comparatively
higher dry matter yield in 2004/05 was attributed to lower day/ night
temperatures during tillering - milk stage (30 - 75 days after sowing). The
three years dry forage water productivities were 1.07 kg/m 3 (W1), 0.82
kg/m 3 (W2) and 0.71 kg/m 3 (W3). The forage yield increased with
increase in level of N fertilization. The effect of P fertilization on dry
matter yield was not significant. The highest dry matter yield was
associated with the combination of irrigation every 10 days and 192 kg
urea /ha.
Key words: Barley; forage production; irrigation intervals, N and P
fertilization