Response of fahl clover to compost rates under irrigation intervals in newly reclaimed saline soils.

A field experiment was conducted on saline clay soil located at the experimental Farm of Sahl- El-Houssinia Agriculture Research Station, El-Sharkia governorate, Egypt, during two winter seasons of 2014/2015 and 2015/2016. These experiments aimed to study the effect of irrigation intervals and compost rates alone or combined on soil fertility and fahl clover productivity and quality under newly reclaimed saline soil conditions. The experimental treatments were arranged in a split plot design with four replicates. The main plots represented the three irrigation intervals (12, 16 and 20 days), whereas the sub-main plots represented compost rates (0, 5, 10, and 15 ton/fad). The results revealed that the effect of irrigation intervals and compost rates were positive on all growth traits of fahl clover and saline soil properties during the two seasons.
   Irrigation intervals had a significant effect on growth traits and yield of clover crop and maximum values were obtained with the 12 days irrigation interval. On the contrary, minimum values for the corresponding respective characters were recorded with the 20 days irrigation interval.
The increase of compost rate (5, 10 and 15 ton /fad) gave increases of all growth traits and yield compared with the control. Also, the interaction between irrigation intervals and compost rates was significant on all studied traits and yield. The 12 days interval combined with all compost rates gave the highest values of studied growth traits as well as forage yields. Results showed that the application of compost increased the chemical composition contents of clover plants and soil properties after harvest as well.