S. A. MAREY1,2
1 King Saud University, Sciences, Technology and Innovation Unit, Rector’s for Graduate Studies & Scientific Research, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
2 Agricultural Engineering Research Institute (AENRI), ARC, Giza, Egypt
MAREY, S. A., 2015. Affecting each of ridger furrow opener parameters and planting methods on water use efficiency and sugar beet yield. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 21: 1304–1311
Design parameters of the ridger furrow opener directly affecting the furrow profile characteristics and the amount of applied water. Furrow-bed irrigation technique is usually used for water conservation, efficient fertilizer use and many other benefits. This study is to evaluate the impact of design parameters of the ridger furrow opener and planting methods on sugar beet yield and water use efficiency. Therefore, field experiments are conducted to (i) investigate the effects of share rake angles (20°, 25° and 30°), opener wing angles (35° and 45°) and wing shape configurations (straight and curved) on the furrow profile characteristics, transverse scattering, draft force, and (ii) evaluate planting methods (i.e. ridges with 50 cm rows spacing and pair of rows on bed with 30, 35 and 40 cm rows spacing), the wing shape and angles on the emergence, sugar percentage, root and sugar yield, applied water and water use efficiency. The results showed that the curved shape and the wing angle of 45° produced wider furrows than those produced by the straight shape and 35° wing angle. Minimum transverse scattering is associated with the curved wing, wing angle of 35° and share rake angle of 20°. Increasing the share rake and wing angles increased the required draft force. The highest average values of root and sugar yields have been achieved at beet planting in beds with 30 cm rows spacing flowed by beds with 35 and 40 cm rows spacing, respectively. The lowest value of the water use efficiency is achieved at planting on ridges compared to the other planting methods. The maximum emergence percentage, root and sugar yields, sugar percentage and water use efficiency are associated with a wing angle of 45° and the curved wing shape.