A field experiment was carried out during the two successive growing seasons of faba bean 2011/ 2012 and 2012/ 2013.
The aim of this investigation was to find out the impact of water deficit based on differentreference evapotranspiration( ETₒ) methods on water applied for faba bean crop.
The field trial was executed at Sakha Agricultural Research Station, which represents the conditions of North Nile Delta region. The field is clay in texture and furnished with drip irrigation system.
Main treatments were ET° methods;FAO Penman-Monteith, Ibrahim, Doorenbos- Pruitt and Modified Penman. While the subtreatmentswere levels of watering, 60%, 80% and 100% from irrigation water (IW.), IW= crop water needs (Etc) divided by Ei (Ei = irrigation efficiency = 0.85 for drip irrigation.
The main findings could be summarized as follows:
- Average seasonal irrigation water (IW) was ranged between 476.83and 696.41 m3 / fed.which recorded under 60% FAO penman- monteith and 100% modified Penman, respectively.
- Mean rainfall (RF) of the two seasons were 405.08 m3 / fed. (9.65 cm).
- Average of the total water applied (TWA) had the same trend of IW and ranged between 881.92 and 1101.50 m3 / fed. for the stated ETₒ methods, respectively.
- The contribution percentage of RF in WA was between 36.8 and 46% which resulted from 100% Modified Penman and the 60% FAO Penman- Monteith, respectively.
- Generaly, ET◦ methods can be arranged in inscending order regarding computation of IW as; FAO Penman- Monteith,Doorenbos&Pruit, Ibrahim and Modified Penman respectively.
Therefore,seasonal rate of water applied is ranged between 5.7 and 7.1 m3/ fed/ day.Out of them, almost half of it comes from rainfall.
So, more investigations should be carried out to verifying the role of rainfall in North Nile Delta in water applied for cultivated winter crops as wheat, barley and sugar beet under drip irrigation.
Since there is no significant difference in seed yield, then it is advisable to irrigate with 60% FAO Penman- Monteith or Ibrahim depending upon the availability of climatic elements.