Balanced Fertilization of Major Crops in Egypt

Justification
Statistical data shows that current fertilizer use in Egypt is highly unbalanced. In addition and due to the scarcity of water resources in Egypt, there is a high need to promote the most efficient techniques in fertilization and irrigation in irrigated agriculture to enhance both water and fertilizer use efficiency. Drip irrigation is common cultural practice for vegetable crops particularly on low water retention soils, this technique can reduce evaporation and thereby increase crop water use efficiency. Moreover, use of drip irrigation also facilitates frequent fertilizer application via injection in the irrigation system, which allows growers to improve the simultaneity between nutrient application and crop nutrient uptake. On sandy soils, most of the N fertilizer is applied via injection in the drip lines during the crop growing season but excessively high N fertilizer and irrigation rates greatly increase the risk of nitrate leaching. The use of fertigation strategies that limit the wetted volume in the root zone may improve water and nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency, as well as reducing nitrate leaching. he increase of irrigation water use efficiency should inherently minimize fertilizers leaching for crops. The application of fertilizer through drip irrigation system should further reduce fertilizers leaching by maintaining nutrients in the root system. As critical as irrigation management, both the timing and amount of NPK applied to the crop must be managed to fulfill crop NPK demands with fertilizer applications, so that any risk of NPK leaching is minimized. A properly designed drip fertigation systems delivers water and nutrients at a rate, duration and frequency, so as to maximize crop water and nutrient uptake, while minimizing leaching of nutrients and chemicals from the root zone of agricultural fields. With this regard, such technologies need to be transferred to the farmers, extension agents and company dealers though training and field demonstration and publication and other outreach materials.



Objectives

1. Maximize water and fertilizer use efficiencies
2. Increasing awareness and transfer the technology of irrigation and fertilization technologies

Methodology

Location #1: Port Said

• Port Said Governorate, Manshiet Wahdan Area, The Farmer Abdul Rahman Ayman Hafez, The crop is Sugar beet:
• Sugar beet - winter season 2016/2017: Manshiet Wahdan area, Port Said Governorate (the farmer Abdul Rahman Ayman Hafez) after the rice crop Giza 178
• Added Super granular fertilizer phosphate by 15 units P2O5 per acre phosphorus on Sep 17, 2016
• The ground layout on Sep 18, 2016
• The cultivation of sugar beet on Sep 19, 2016
• The Irrigation on Sep 20, 2016
• The Mohayah irrigation on Sep 30, 2016
• On Oct 18, 2016 fertilization (1st dose) ammonium nitrate 16.5 units nitrogen and irrigation
• On Nov 3, 2016 fertilization (2nd ) dose ammonium nitrate 16.5 units nitrogen and irrigation.
• Treatments according to the contract between IPNI and ARC-SWERI:
1. FFP – farmer fertilization practice
2. NP
3. NPK
4. NPK+B
5. NPK+Zn
6. NPK+B+Zn

Location #2: El Husinia

• Port Said Governorate, Hosinia plain area (Rehab Cooperative), The farmer is Osama Musa, The crop is Wheat after Rice crop of Sakha 101:
• Wheat for winter season 2016/2017: Hosinia plain area (Rehab Cooperative) farmer Osama Musa after rice crop of Sakha 101.
• Superphosphate fertilizer added at the rate of 15 units P2O5 per acre on Sep 11, 2016 and leveling.
• Experiments were divided into strips on Nov, 10, 2016
• The cultivation of two varieties of wheat Egypt 1, the sixth of 12 on Nov 12, 2016
• Irrigation of wheat on 11/12/2016
• Treatments:
1. FFP – farmer fertilization practice
2. NP
3. NPK
4. NPK+B
5. NPK+Zn
6. NPK+B+Zn

Location #3: El Kasasein Agriculture Research Station Esmaeilia

• Horticultural Crops: Mango
• Crop type is …………………………..
• Fertilization program will start in January and February 2017
• Treatments according to the contract between IPNI and ARC-SWERI:
1. FFP – farmer fertilization practice
2. NP
3. NPK
4. NPK+B
5. NPK+Zn
6. NPK+B+Zn