Increasing Water Use Efficiency of Berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) as Affected by Methods of Sowing and Nitrogen Fertilizer Dosages

THE PRESENT investigation was conducted at El-Karada water requirement Research station, Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt, during 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 to find out increasing WUE of Berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) as affected by methods of sowing and dosages of nitrogen fertilizer. Sowing methods was dissemination by the seeds on wet soil after flooding the soil with water W,, while, the second one was done on dry leveled soil and then irrigation water was applied W2. Nitrogen dosages was control, 15 and 30 kgN/fed. The main results of this study indicated that there were no significant differences in the fresh, dry yield, NPK, crude protein percentage of Berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) and its water relations between the two methods of sowing. Seeding on the dry leveled soil and then irrigation water was applied gave the highest value of water saving, where, the average total water applied was 2765.85 trrVfed./season, while, the seeds were planted on wet soil after flooding the soil with water was 3013.94 m3/fed./season as average in both seasons and saved 248.09 m3/fed./season. No significant difference was deteted between 15 and 30 kg N/fed. on fresh, dry and its quality as well. Increasing nitrogen fertilizer dosages due to 30 Kg N/fed. slightly increased Cu, WUE and FWUE. The interaction between methods of sowing and nitrogen fertilizer dosages was significant, while WUE was not. With regard to these results it could be concluded that w2 with N, under the irrigation with 2765.85m3 produced the highest forage yield. Then it means save about 645.03 million m3 of water when the cultivate area of Berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) is a bout 1.092 million hectares