Two experiments were conducted in a wire proof greenhouse at Sakha Agricultural Research Station during seasons of 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 to estimate the influence of water salinity on some soil chemical properties, yield and yield components of faba bean varieties. Four water salinity levels 0.5 dS/m (W1) 2.94 dS/m (W2), 4.82 dS/m (W3) and 7.0 dS/m (W4) were used. Ten faba bean varieties; Giza 461, Rina More, Giza 843, Giza 3, Sakha 1, Sakha 2, Sakha 3, Nobaria1, Misr 1 and Misr 2 were planted in pots which filled with 10 kg of non saline clay soil at the beginning of each season.
The obtained results could be summarized as follows :
Dramatic increase of soil salinity was shown after harvesting due to increasing irrigation water salinity i.e., from (1.9 , 2.0 ) to (5.93, 5.99) (12.53, 13.00) and (14.44, 14.20) dS/m with W1, W2, W3 and W4 the in two seasons, respectively. As well as SAR was increased from (4.64 , 4.48) before planting to (7.79, 7.63) (12.78, 12.14) and (14.42, 15.01) with W2, W3 and W4 in two seasons respectively. Also, HCO-3, Cl-, and Na+ were increased with increasing irrigation water salinity.
Irrigation water salinity significantly affected faba bean yield and yield components. Faba bean seed yield /plant had the following sequence With different irrigation waters: W1: Sakha 2 > Giza 461 = Misr 1 > Rina More = Misr 2 = Nobaria 1 Sakha 1 = Giza 3 = Sakha 3 > Giza 843. W2 : Sakha 2 > Misr1 = Misr 2 > Nobaria 1 = Sakha 3 = Sakha 1 = Giza 3 > Giza 843 = Giza 461 > Rina More. W3 : Sakha 2 = Misr1 = Misr 2 > Nobaria 1 = Giza 3 > Sakah 1 = Giza 843 = Sakha 3 = Rina More = Giza 461. W4 : Misr 2 = Misr 1 = Sakha 2 > Nobaria 1 = Sakha 1 = Sakah 3 > Giza 3 = Giza 843 > Rina More = Giza 461.
Number of pods/plant, straw yield/plant, number of branches / plant number of seeds / plant and 100-seed weight significantly decreased with increasing irrigation water salinity levels.
Faba bean : Misr 2, Misr 1 and Sakha 2 were the highest tolerant varieties to irrigation water salinity. While the varieties Giza 461, Rina More were the lowest ones according to FAO (1985).