The Effect Of Irrigation Water Salinity On Potato Crop Productivity Based On Irrigation Technique In Sandy Soil In El Oued Region/Algeria

Abstract

El Oued region in Algeria experiences significant variation in potato crop yield from one farmer to another, despite being exposed to similar factors such as water salinity level, irrigation duration, and water quantity applied to the potato plants, albeit with variations in the irrigation method, either through center-pivot irrigation or drip irrigation. This study aimed to determine the extent of the impact of irrigation water salinity on potato crop production in the irrigated areas using both spray and drip irrigation methods in El Oued, Algeria during the autumn season of 2020. A sample of 97 potato producers was utilized, and in order to test the homogeneity of the salinity effect between the spray-irrigated and drip-irrigated areas, a regression analysis was conducted using a logarithmic-linear function model to estimate the salinity effect parameters between the two irrigation methods, followed by a significance test to evaluate the difference in their effects. The study revealed that water salinity had a negative effect on potato yield per hectare in both spray-irrigated and drip-irrigated areas. The relationship was found to be non-linear, with an increasing decline in yield as water salinity increased. Based on these results, it can be concluded that there is a difference in the salinity effect depending on the irrigation method, whether through spray irrigation or drip irrigation. According to the study, it was observed that the salinity effect on plants was more pronounced in the case of spray irrigation compared to drip irrigation, as spray irrigation covers the entire plant, including the leaves and stems.