IMPACT OF DITCHER PERFORMANCE ON WHEAT RESPONSE TO APPLICATION OF SOME PLANT RESIDUES USED AS ORGANIC FERTILIZERS

  This study was carried out at El-Gemmeiza Ag. Res. station, El-Gharbia Governorate, during 2007 winter season. It aimed to study the effect of the ditcher performance on wheat response to the organic fertilization. The completed conformation of cotton stalks, rice straw and corn stalks were placed into underground tunnels using ditcher at forward speeds of 1.85, 2.65, 3.45 and 4.25 km/h. The tunnels were arranged in spacing of 3.00, 5.00 and 7.00 m apart in a correspondent orientations and they were holed at 0.30, 0.45 and 0.60 m depth.
The obtained results could be summarized as follows:

The application of the plant residues into the underground tunnels improved the soil chemical properties and increased the wheat crop yield.
The application of corn stalks into the underground tunnels of 3.00 m spacing at 0.60 m depth achieved the higher soil organic carbon of 2.90%, the lower soil pH of 7.30 and the higher soil available N, P and K of 39, 15 and 392 ppm, respectively. Consequently, it achieved the higher wheat grain yield of 3.79 ton/fed.
To hole the underground tunnels of 3 m spacing at 0.60 m depth, the ditcher achieved the higher field capacity of 1.96 fed./h and required the lower specific energy of 68.63 MJ/fed. at forward speed of 4.25 km/h.

    Finally, it is recommended to use the ditcher for placing the plant residues into underground tunnels. This practice improves the soil chemical properties which would increase the wheat response to the plant residues that use as organic fertilizers. Also, reduced the environmental pollution from agricultural wastes.