An Economic Study of The Irrigation Periods’ Effects on Some Soil Properties and Faba Bean Crop Productivity

This study aims to economically evaluate the water use efficiency at three rates of irrigation (1, 2, and 3) with the comparison between using 11.9 ton ha-1 application rate of the biochar and/or compost along with the mineral fertilization on the yield and quality of the faba bean crop. Two field experiments were conducted at El-Qantara Sharq farm Ismailia Governorate, Egypt, (winter seasons of 2020/2021 and 2021/2022) in a splitplot design with three replicates. The main factor F1 was the irrigation rates: rate 1 (3571.43 m3 ha-1), rate 2 (4761.90 m3 ha-1), and rate 3 (5952.38 m3 ha-1) while the sub-factor F2 was the type of the soil additive (biochar, compost or mineral). The soil-available N (mg kg-1) has increased relative to that before cultivation in the range 11.3 – 55.5% that was non-significant due to the irrigation rates (main factor F1) but a significant due to the soil additives (sub-factor F2). The studied irrigation rates as well as the soil additives have increased the soil-available concentration (mg kg-1) of K, Mn, and Zn significantly and the available P, and Fe but non-significantly at p rate 2 (biochar) > rate 3 (mineral). The application of the compost and/or the biochar is more efficient at the rate 2 than the single use of the mineral fertilization that need greater level of the irrigation water otherwise the yield decreases. The maximum water unit return has increased by 32.3% and 21.9% for the compost and biochar at rate 2, respectively, relative to the mineral at rate 1.