Authors : Kamel Nagaz , Ines Toumi , Mohamed Moncef Masmoudi and Netij Ben Mechlia
Abstract: Field study was conducted during 2001-2002 on a sandy soil to determine the effect of full and deficit irrigation on soil salinity, yield and water use efficiency of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Ardhaoui). Four irrigation treatments were applied. These consisted in water replacements of accumulated crop evapotranspiration (ETc) at levels of 100% (Full irrigation, 100-ETc), 85, 70 and 50% (Deficit irrigation 85-ETc, 70-ETc and 50-ETc) with fixed irrigation intervals of 10 days. Well water with an ECi of 11.7 dS m 1 was used for irrigation. Yield, yield components, water supply and soil salinity were measured. The results showed that soil salinity values remained lower than those of ECiw and were significantly affected by irrigation treatments. Higher soil salinity was maintained in the root zone with deficit (50-ETc and 70-ETc) than full irrigation (100-ETc). No significant differences were observed in grain yield, dry matter and 1000-seed weight, seed per spike and spike per m� from the comparison between full irrigation (100-ETc) and 85-ETc deficit irrigation treatments. However, the 70-ETc and 50-ETc deficit irrigation treatments caused significant reductions in the five parameters considered (in comparison with full irrigation). Water-use efficiency (WUE) obtained in this experiment corresponds with values reported in the literature and was affected by irrigation treatments. The lowest WUE values occurred under the 100-ETc treatment, while the highest values were obtained under 50-ETc deficit irrigation treatment. The full irrigation (100-ETc) and deficit irrigation (85-ETc) strategies were found to be a useful practice for scheduling barley irrigation with saline water under the arid Mediterranean conditions of southern Tunisia.
Kamel Nagaz , Ines Toumi , Mohamed Moncef Masmoudi and Netij Ben Mechlia , 2008. Soil Salinity and Barley Production under Full and Deficit Irrigation with Saline Water in Arid Conditions of Southern Tunisia. Research Journal of Agronomy, 2: 90-95.