MAIZE PRODUCTION IN EL-NUBARIA SOILS AS AFFECTED BY AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES AND WATER MANAGEMENT

A field trial was con.ducted at ei-nubaria agricultural experimental statio station of the agricultural research center, a.r.c. to study the effect of some agriculture practices aiming at participating in solving calcareous soil problems. related to mechanical and physical parameters and hence increasing crop production. the experimental treatments comprised three treatments namely; three compost addition rates (0, 15 and 30 mg/fed), two irrigation water depletion levels (50 and 70% of available water) and two plowing depths (15 and 30 cm). the obtained results show that. increasing the application rate of compost, irrigation at 50% depletion from soil available water and plowing at 30 cm depth considerably decreased soil bulk density and soil penetration resistance and on the other hand increased total porosity and hydraulic conductivity as cqmpared with the control. the correlation and regression analysis indicated highly significant negative relation between maize yield and each of the penetration resistance, and soil bulk density. on the other hand highly significant butpositive relation was found betweenmaize yield and each of total porosity and hydraulic conductivity.