Lessons of Innovative Sustainable Farming for Corn/Legume Production under WEFE Nexus in Egypt

Climate change, water scarcity and smallholder farms are the most important challenges facing Egyptian agriculture and food security. Egypt is considered a water-stressed region, with about 150 mm of rain falling only on the northern coast and a 50% shortage of the Nile’s water resource. The proper handling of water, energy, food and ecosystem (WEFE nexus) may alleviate these conflictions among limited resources.

The objectives of the present studies were to elucidate the proper cropping pattern/s and cultural practices that may be used to maximize agricultural productions, land equivalent ratio (LER), and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) of corn as a major summer crop. The intercropping farming systems of soybean/mung bean as legume crops with corn accompanying to lower inputs than traditional/recommended ones were investigated in upper and northern Egypt.

Three field trials were carried out using Split-split plot arrangements of RCBD in Al-Minia (2021 and 2022 seasons) and Nubaryia (2022 season), representing the upper and northern locations. respectively.

The main plots were assigned to two irrigation regimes as recommended (7860 m³ ha^-1) vs. saving regime (5895 m³ ha^-1 as 75% of recommendation), as well as traditional ridges (distanced 70 cm) vs. bed ones (140 cm wide). First, split plots were occupied by cropping systems (intercropping vs. solid of each corn or soybean and mung bean). Foliar application and rhizobium inoculation were adopted for compensating the lower applied N fertilizers.

The intercropped corn/legumes reflected in higher land equivalent ratios (LERs) ranged from 1.32 to 2.287 (= 32.0- 128.7% progress). Nutrient foliar was reflected on the higher LERs than those of soil applications which were pronounced under the normal watering regime rather than the water saving one. Cropping patterns in wider ridges (Bed) were found in either solid or intercropping upgraded irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE), for which we recorded 2.993 and 3.558 of solid farming and intercropping, respectively, compared to the 0.318 of narrow ridges.