Document Type : Articles
Authors
1 Agricultural Mechanization Unit, Soil Conservation Department - Desert Research Center - Cairo - Egypt
2 Soil Erosion Unit, Soil Conservation Department - Desert Research Center- Cairo - Egypt
Abstract
Sustainable management of natural resources in Egypt's northwest coast is crucial given the arid conditions and low rainfall. Therefore, this research aimed to improve rainwater harvesting and reduce soil erosion through an intercropping system of wheat and quinoa cultivated on wide-tied ridges. A machine was designed to perform both the wide-tied ridges formation and crops planting on one pass of machine. Field experiments were conducted during the 2024/2025 rainy season at three spacings between tying dikes (50, 100, and 150 cm) compared with planting on flat soil. Each treatment included sole wheat, sole quinoa, intercropped systems, with overlap ratios (1:1, 2:2, and 4:4). The results showed that wheat and quinoa grain yields increased by 121% and 103%, respectively, on wide-tied ridges compared with flat soil, accompanied by a 151% higher net return. Runoff, soil, nutrient, and organic matter losses decreased by 86%, 82%, 85%, and 83%, respectively. The optimal treatment was a 100cm spacing between dikes with a 1:1 intercropping ratio of wheat and quinoa. This treatment reduced runoff and soil loss about 13% and 15%, respectively. It also achieved the highest land equivalent ratio (LER = 2.25), representing a 15% higher overall productivity compared with sole cropping, and achieved the greatest net returns (180%) compared with sole wheat. This optimal treatment resulted in balanced vegetation cover and good root spread, which enhanced soil moisture retention and erosion resistance. Therefore, this research offers a sustainable and highly productive solution for arid regions prone to erosion and drought.
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