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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_4
Chapter 4
Field Crops and Deficit Irrigation in Egypt
Samiha Ouda, Tahany Noreldin, and Abd El-Hafeez Zohry
Abstract In this chapter, we concerned about quantifying the effect of the application of deficit irrigation for Egyptian clover and sugar beet cultivated on raised beds
to reduce the amount of applied water to raised beds to be lower than full irrigation.
Data on the cultivated area and productivity of Egyptian clover and sugar beet were
collected for both old and new lands on governorate level, as well as weather data in
2017 and water requirements were calculated. Five production alternatives were
quantified on governorate level, namely traditional cultivation, raised beds cultivation, application of deficit irrigation, calculation of production without investing the
saved water in adding new area, and calculation of production with investing the
saved water in adding new area. In all alternatives, water productivity was calculated. The results showed that using the saved water from cultivation on raised beds
and application of deficit irrigation to cultivate new areas with Egyptian clover
resulted in 30% and 38% increase in its production, compared to its value under
traditional cultivation. Furthermore, cultivation on raised beds and application of
deficit irrigation without using the added area to cultivated new lands resulted in
increasing total production by 13% and 8%, respectively. With respect to sugar beet,
using the saved water from cultivation on raised beds and application of deficit irrigation to cultivate new areas with sugar beet resulted in 28% and 30% increase in
its production, compared to its value under traditional cultivation. Whereas, cultivation on raised beds and application of deficit irrigation without using the added area
to cultivated new lands resulted in increasing total production by 10% and 5%,
respectively. In both crops, water productivity was the highest when deficit irrigation was applied and the saved irrigation water was used to cultivate new areas with
the crop.
Keywords Egyptian clover · Sugar beet · Raised beds cultivation · Irrigation water
saving · Water productivity
S. Ouda (*) · T. Noreldin
Water Requirements and Field Irrigation Research Department, Soils, Water and Environment
Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt
A. E.-H. Zohry
Crop Intensification Research Department, Field Crops 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_4
Chapter 4
Field Crops and Deficit Irrigation in Egypt
Samiha Ouda, Tahany Noreldin, and Abd El-Hafeez Zohry
Abstract In this chapter, we concerned about quantifying the effect of the application of deficit irrigation for Egyptian clover and sugar beet cultivated on raised beds
to reduce the amount of applied water to raised beds to be lower than full irrigation.
Data on the cultivated area and productivity of Egyptian clover and sugar beet were
collected for both old and new lands on governorate level, as well as weather data in
2017 and water requirements were calculated. Five production alternatives were
quantified on governorate level, namely traditional cultivation, raised beds cultivation, application of deficit irrigation, calculation of production without investing the
saved water in adding new area, and calculation of production with investing the
saved water in adding new area. In all alternatives, water productivity was calculated. The results showed that using the saved water from cultivation on raised beds
and application of deficit irrigation to cultivate new areas with Egyptian clover
resulted in 30% and 38% increase in its production, compared to its value under
traditional cultivation. Furthermore, cultivation on raised beds and application of
deficit irrigation without using the added area to cultivated new lands resulted in
increasing total production by 13% and 8%, respectively. With respect to sugar beet,
using the saved water from cultivation on raised beds and application of deficit irrigation to cultivate new areas with sugar beet resulted in 28% and 30% increase in
its production, compared to its value under traditional cultivation. Whereas, cultivation on raised beds and application of deficit irrigation without using the added area
to cultivated new lands resulted in increasing total production by 10% and 5%,
respectively. In both crops, water productivity was the highest when deficit irrigation was applied and the saved irrigation water was used to cultivate new areas with
the crop.
Keywords Egyptian clover · Sugar beet · Raised beds cultivation · Irrigation water
saving · Water productivity
S. Ouda (*) · T. Noreldin
Water Requirements and Field Irrigation Research Department, Soils, Water and Environment
Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt
A. E.-H. Zohry
Crop Intensification Research Department, Field Crops Research Institute, Agricultural
Research Center, Giza, Egypt