# Application of various agricultural practices on sorghum forage yield and its association with water use efficiency under deficit irrigation conditions

## TL;DR

This study shows that the hole farming method improves sorghum forage yield and water use efficiency, especially in drought conditions in Egypt.

## Contribution

The study identifies the hole farming method as the most effective for enhancing sorghum yield and water use efficiency under drought.

## Key findings

- Drought stress reduced sorghum growth, forage yield, and water use efficiency in all cuts.
- The hole farming method outperformed other planting methods in growth and yield traits.
- Wadi El-Raml location showed higher forage and water use efficiency under drought conditions.

## Abstract

To assess the effect of various planting methods on the drought tolerance and increased forage yield and water use efficiency of sorghum, a field experiment was conducted at Ras El Hekma and Wadi El-Raml, Matrouh Governorate, Egypt, in the 2023 and 2024 growing seasons under normal irrigation and drought conditions. A drip irrigation system was used to plant sorghum. Sources of variation for seasons, locations, planting methods, and their interactions had significant effects (P < 0.05 or 0.01) on growth, forage yield, and water use efficiency (both fresh and dry) at most of the cuts under normal irrigation and drought conditions. Our results showed that drought stress negatively influenced growth, forage yield, and water use efficiency (in both fresh and dry) traits of sorghum at all cuts in both seasons and locations. Forage yield and water use efficiency at the various cuts are greatly influenced by the growing seasons and climate. The hole farming method significantly increased growth, forage yield and water use efficiency traits at all cuts, followed by the row method, while broadcasting resulted in the lowest values under experimental factors under study. The Wadi El-Raml location significantly boosted the traits under study at all cuts in both growing seasons under normal irrigation and drought conditions. At the sum of the three cuttings, the Wadi El-Raml location experienced improvements in fresh forage yield (6.62%), dry forage yield (8.04%), fresh water use efficiency (6.56%), and dry water use efficiency (7.18%) under drought conditions, in comparison to the Ras El Hekma location. There are positive associations among all studied traits at all cuts under normal irrigation and drought conditions. The significance of planting methods and locations in both growing seasons as the primary contributing traits for sorghum’s water use efficiency and fodder yield under drought conditions was shown using STI and PCA based on the phenotypic correlation. Therefore, to increase the forage output and water use efficiency of sorghum, it is highly advised that the hole farming method be applied to the Wadi El-Raml area in Egypt under drought conditions.