Study the relationship between using of the modified ridger and efficiency of surface irrigation system in Ras-Sudr area

The planting furrows and the surface irrigation system are considered the most prevalent in Egypt, especially in areas which face problems in the crops productivity due to the high salinity in soil or irrigation water where, these systems reduce the impact of salinity on plant growth. The ridger is the main machine used to build the furrows and prevalent in Egypt as a result of cheapness and ease of manufacture. So this research was conducted to achieve two main goals. The first objective was to develop a traditional ridger to be used as a machine for planting the furrows by adding a planting unit proved behind the ridger and thus can be exploited widespread of traditional ridger at the most of farmers in Egypt for mechanization the planting process of different crops on the furrows for the purpose of saving time, effort and money. The second objective was to increase the efficiency of furrow surface irrigation system by adding unit to compact and change the shape of irrigation channel bottom into different forms to find the best form suitable with the compaction process to reduce the irrigation water losses into the bottom of irrigation channels and increase the moisture content inside the furrows, and thus increase the efficiency of furrow surface irrigation system. To achieve these goals has been manufacturing developed unit can be attached to traditional ridger for planting on the furrows as well as containing unit to form and compacted the bottom irrigation channel. A field experiment was conducted at Ras-Sudr Research Station in South Sinai Governorate to evaluate the performance of the developed ridger and its impact on the efficiency of furrow surface irrigation system in order to achieve a higher water use efficiency and higher crop productivity. The evaluation process was achieved by carrying out three levels of irrigation rate treatment (70 %, 85 % and 100%), two levels of compacted the bottom of irrigation channel treatment (compacted and uncompacted) and three levels of forming the bottom of irrigation channel treatment (V-shape, trapezoidal shape and W-shape). The effect of these treatments were conducted on some soil physical properties, the ridger performance (pulling force, fuel consumption, actual field capacity and field efficiency), Effect of three shapes and compacted bottom of furrow irrigation was clear at advanced and recession curves, water movement was increment under compacted treatment and under V, Trapezoid and W shape receptively. And advances and recessions curves refer to last water behaviors, soil moisture content, soil salinity, water use efficiency and yield of Millet crop (fresh forage). The results showed that the treatment of W-shape with compacted of irrigation channel bottom achieved the best values of soil bulk density, soil penetration resistance and average infiltration rate caused the highest values of soil moisture content and lowest value of soil salinity which ultimately resulted the increasing in Millet yield and water use efficiency at all irrigation rates. Therefore, using traditional ridger with developed unit is recommended to be used for compaction, forming the bottom of irrigation channel (W-shape) and planting the furrows under the salinity conditions.