Deficit irrigation effects on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. Maraton) yield in unheated greenhouse condition

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine effect of deficit irrigation on yield for cucumber grown under unheated greenhouse condition. The research was carried out at the Agricultural Research Station of Yenisehir High School of Uludag University in Bursa, Turkey, in 2007. In the study, water was applied to cucumber as 100, 75, 50, 25 and 0% (as control) of evaporation from a Class A Pan corresponding to 2-day irrigation frequency. Irrigation water applied to crops ranged from 75 to 420 mm, and water consumption ranged from 84 to 424 mm. The effect of irrigation water level on the yield, fruit length, fruit diameter, fruit weight and dry matter ratio were found to be significant. The highest yields were 148 and 108 t ha(-1) for the K1(cp) and K2(cp) treatments, respectively. Crop yield response factor (k(y)) was 1.213. The highest values for water use efficiency (WUE) and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) were found to be 34.91 and 31.90 kg mm(-1) for the K1(cp) treatment. Under the conditions that water resources are scarce, it can be recommended that K1(cp) treatment is most suitable as a water application level for cucumber irrigation by drip irrigation under unheated greenhouse condition.