Productivity and irrigation requirements of faba-bean in North Delta of Egypt in relation to planting dates

Two field experiments were carried out in El-Bosaily farm in the Northern coast of Egypt during 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 seasons to study the response of the faba bean (Vicia faba L.,) Sakha 3 cultivar to five different sowing dates (1st of October, mid of October and 1st of November, mid of November and 1st of December) and three applied irrigation levels 0.60, 0.80 and 1.00 of IR which applied by drip irrigation system. Plant height, leaf area index, total plant dry weight, biological and seed yields, seed carbohydrate and protein contents as well as water use efficiency were determined. The results were as follows: Vegetative growth traits as well as biological and seed yield of faba bean values were decreased as sowing date delayed beyond the 1st of November. Meanwhile application of 0.60 of (IR) irrigation treatments led to decline vegetative growth traits as well as biological and seed yield. Nevertheless, the 1.00 irrigation treatments gave the highest grain yield. The final results showed that the 0.60 irrigation level gave the highest water use efficiency (WUE). Increasing irrigation water above 0.60 led to decrease in values of water use efficiency. Meanwhile, the highest water use efficiency was obtained from the third sowing date (1st November) followed by second sowing date (mid. October) while the lowest WUE value was obtained by the fifth sowing date (1st December). Finally, the highest value of protein and carbohydrate contents in the faba bean seeds were obtained by the lowest irrigation level (0.60IR) combined with the third sowing date (1st November).