Field experiment was conducted to optimize forage production and water use efficiency (WUE)
under dry land condition at the Agriculture Research Station of King Abdulaziz University located
at Hada Al-Sham, Jeddah. Aim of the research was to produce the optimum forage production
with the least amount of irrigation water in alfalfa and blue panic forage crops. To fulfill the above
mentioned objective three irrigation systems (sprinkler, drip and sub-surface drip) were
investigated using three water regimes namely: 100% water requirement (WR), 75%WR and 50 %
WR. Under these treatments alfalfa and blue panic crops were investigated. Results revealed that,
total water supply was increased along the growing season to reach its maximum in June, then
decreased. Sub-surface drip produced the highest forage yield under fully water requirement
(100% WR). Surface drip increased yield production under stress treatments (75% WR and 50%
WR) while sprinkler system produced the least forage yield. Under fully and stress treatments,
blue panic produced higher forage yield than alfalfa. WUE was the best under subsurface drip
followed by surface drip while the least was recorded in sprinkler irrigation.