Dryland Wheat Production in the Western Part of Libya I. Response to Deep Tillage and N-P Fertilizers

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture Farm. University of Al-Fateh. Tripoli, S.P.L.A.J., during 1979-80. The effect of four tillage practices and nine N-P fertilizer combinations on the yield and yield components of wheat, cultivar Sidi Mesri 1 (Triticum aestivutn L.) was studied under sandy soil and rainfed conditions.

Subsoiling (50cm deep) significantly increased the total (grain + straw) yield, grain and straw yield, spikes per m2. grains per spike, weight of grains per spike and 1000-grain weight compared to rotary cultivator (20 cm deep), 7-disk single-axle plow (25 cm deep) and sweep (30 cm deep). The order of their effectiveness was: rotary cultivator = 7-disk plow = sweep < subsoiler.

The fertilizer rates per hectare were: zero fertilizer. 20kgN. 40kgN. 30 kg P2O5, 60kgP2O5, 20 kg N+ 30 kg P,O5, 40 kg N+ 30 kg P2O5, 20 kg N + 60 kg P2O5, and 40 kg N + 60 kg P2O5. The fertilizer combinations of 20 kg N and 40 kg N with 60kgP2O5 per hectare significantly improved the wheat yield and its components compared to the other combinations. The increase in tillage depth and fertilizer rate increased the plant height and the number of spikes per plant.

The positive response of different plant characters to deep tillage and N-P fertilization clearly suggests the use of proper cultivation implements and fertilizer rates to increase the dryland wheat production.