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© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
S. Ouda et al., Deficit Irrigation, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35586-9_6
Chapter 6
Wheat Insufficiency and Deficit Irrigation
Abd El-Hafeez Zohry and Samiha Ouda
Abstract In this chapter, we tested whether implementing different production
alternatives will contribute in increasing wheat national production and increase its
self-sufficiency ratio. Data on the cultivated area and productivity of wheat were
collected for both old and new lands on governorate level, as well as weather data in
2017 and water requirements were calculated. Data on the cultivated area of winter
tomato, sugar beet, cotton, fruit trees and sugarcane were collected. The population
data was also collected. Five production alternatives were quantified on governorate
level, namely traditional cultivation, raised beds cultivation, application of deficit
irrigation, implementing intercropping systems with wheat and use the saved water
from application of deficit irrigation to Egyptian clover, sugar beet, onion and
tomato. Under all alternatives, self-sufficiency ratio and water productivity were
calculated. The results showed that using the saved water from cultivation on raised
beds and application of deficit irrigation to cultivate new areas with wheat resulted
in 32 and 41% increase in its production, compared to its value under traditional
cultivation and wheat self-sufficiency ratio was increased to 57 and 61%, respectively. Furthermore, application of deficit irrigation and implementing intercropping
systems, as well as application of deficit irrigation, implementing intercropping systems and using the saved water from other crops to cultivate more wheat areas
resulted in increasing total production by 61 and 100%, respectively compared to its
value under traditional cultivation and that increased wheat self-sufficiency ratio to
reach 70 and 85%, respectively. The highest water productivity values were found
under application of deficit irrigation and implementing intercropping systems.
Keywords Raised beds cultivation · Application of deficit irrigation to raised beds ·
Wheat intercropping systems · Wheat self-sufficiency ratio
A. E.-H. Zohry (*)
Crop Intensification Research Department, Field Crops Research Institute, Agricultural
Research Center, Giza, Egypt
S. Ouda
Water Requirements and Field Irrigation Research Department, Soils, Water and Environment
Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
S. Ouda et al., Deficit Irrigation, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35586-9_6
Chapter 6
Wheat Insufficiency and Deficit Irrigation
Abd El-Hafeez Zohry and Samiha Ouda
Abstract In this chapter, we tested whether implementing different production
alternatives will contribute in increasing wheat national production and increase its
self-sufficiency ratio. Data on the cultivated area and productivity of wheat were
collected for both old and new lands on governorate level, as well as weather data in
2017 and water requirements were calculated. Data on the cultivated area of winter
tomato, sugar beet, cotton, fruit trees and sugarcane were collected. The population
data was also collected. Five production alternatives were quantified on governorate
level, namely traditional cultivation, raised beds cultivation, application of deficit
irrigation, implementing intercropping systems with wheat and use the saved water
from application of deficit irrigation to Egyptian clover, sugar beet, onion and
tomato. Under all alternatives, self-sufficiency ratio and water productivity were
calculated. The results showed that using the saved water from cultivation on raised
beds and application of deficit irrigation to cultivate new areas with wheat resulted
in 32 and 41% increase in its production, compared to its value under traditional
cultivation and wheat self-sufficiency ratio was increased to 57 and 61%, respectively. Furthermore, application of deficit irrigation and implementing intercropping
systems, as well as application of deficit irrigation, implementing intercropping systems and using the saved water from other crops to cultivate more wheat areas
resulted in increasing total production by 61 and 100%, respectively compared to its
value under traditional cultivation and that increased wheat self-sufficiency ratio to
reach 70 and 85%, respectively. The highest water productivity values were found
under application of deficit irrigation and implementing intercropping systems.
Keywords Raised beds cultivation · Application of deficit irrigation to raised beds ·
Wheat intercropping systems · Wheat self-sufficiency ratio
A. E.-H. Zohry (*)
Crop Intensification Research Department, Field Crops Research Institute, Agricultural
Research Center, Giza, Egypt
S. Ouda
Water Requirements and Field Irrigation Research Department, Soils, Water and Environment
Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt