EFFECT OF ALTERNATING IRRIGATION WITH DIFFERENT SALINITY WATER ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF SOME Corn GENOTYPES (Zea mays L)

Abstract

Filed experiments were carried out during 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 seasons, At the AL – wahda experimental station of state board of Agricultural research, in saline silty clay texture soil classified as Vertic Torrifluvent. A factorial experiment with a complete ravdomized block design with three replicates were used to evaluate the effect of Irrigation practices (continuos and alternating practice ), A0 (continuos Irrigation with river water 1.2 ds.m-1) , A1 (two irrigations with river water and one Irrigation with salinity water of level 3,6 and 9 ds.m-1 reperesent A13, A16 and A19 respectively) and A2 (two Irrigations with salinity water of level 3,6 and 9 ds.m-1 and one Irrigation with river water) reperesen (A23, A26 and A29 respectively ) on salt accumulation in the soil and growth traits and yield of four genotypes of Corn, in cluding Behoth 106, Talar, AL– Ezz and hybrid 3001 reperesen V1,V2,V3 and V4 respectively, and also to know the proportion of fresh water which can be saved by applying the alternating practice.The results showed no significant effect between irrigation practices (A0 and all treatments of A1) on the salt accumulation in the soil in comparison with A2 which caused 55% increasing in salt accumulation in the soil as the average. The applied irrigation practices showed significant effect on the plant height, dry matter yield, ear weight, grain yield and protein percentage in the grain. However, no significant effects was detected as far as oil content in the grain was concerned. Results also showed the superiority of V1 and V2 genotypes compaired with the other genotypes in terms of grain yield which gave 3.81 Meg. ha-1 as average production . It was concluded that the alternating method (A1) save about 28.57% of fresh water.