Two field trials were carried out at Sakha Agricultural Research Station
Farm, Kafr EI-Sheikh Governorate Egypt, during 2001/2002 and 2002/2003 winter
growing seasons in order to upgrade the furrow irrigation regarding water saving by
trying the surface irrigation technique of surge flow irrigation and compare it with the
continuous furrow irrigation in clayey soil at North Nile Delta of Egypt, under three,
different discharges: 4, 6 and 8 US which labeled as 0" 02 and 03, respectively.
Four irrigation treatments were implemented as follows (1,) continuous irrigation
(control), (12) surge irrigation with cycle ratio of 0.5 (10 min. On-10 min. Off) (b) surge
irrigation with cycle ratio of 0.4 (10 min. On-15 min. Off) (14) surge irrigation with cycle
ratio of 0.33 (10 min. On-20 min. Off). The experiments were carried out with faba
bean as a test crop.
Data revealed that, water advance times for 80 m. irrigation strip were 110,
96, ~1.5 and 66 min.; 77.5, 66.5, 58 and 46 min.; 59, 51, 44 and 37 min. for
treatments I" 12, band 14 under the stated three discharges, respectively. Data also
showed that, surge irrigation treatment with cycle ratio of 0.33 (10 min. On-20 min.
Off) resulted in a significant reduction in applied irrigation water, with an average of
39.3% which equaled 811 m3/fed. The results indicated that surge irrigation had the
lowest values of basic infiltration. The average values of basic infiltration rate (IRb) at
the end of the two seasons were 4.0, 4.0 and 5.0 mm/h; 5.0, 6.0 and 7.5 mm/hr and
6.0,7.0 and 8.0 mm/hr for treatments 14 (10 min. On-20 min. Of) under 4,6 and 8 US
at head medial and tail furrow, respectively. The corresponding values for I,
continuous irrigation were 7.0,10 and 12.0 mm/hr; 8.0,10.0 and 12.0 mm/hr and 9.0,
12.0 and 14 mm/hr, respectively.