Response of Greenhouse Grown Cucumber to Partial Root Zone Drying and Conventional Deficit Irrigation

In this study, it was aimed to determine the response of greenhouse grown cucumber to the partial root zone drying (YIS) and conventional deficit irrigation (KS). The study was conducted in plastic and glass covered two greenhouses in Antalya condition. With control (K100) and total of seven irrigation treatments including two conventional deficit irrigation (KS75 and KS50), two alternate partial root zone drying (A-YIS75 and A-YIS50) and two fixed-partial root zone drying (S-YIS75 and S-YIS50) were discussed. Irrigation water (mm), yield (t ha(-1)), plant height (cm), dry matter etc. observations and measurements were recorded. Irrigation water use efficiency (SSKR) values (kg (haxmm)(-1)) were calculated. As expected, the soil water content of control (K100) treatment was at the highest values and field capacity followed a close course. In other treatments, the soil water content in the plant root zone remained lower than the K100. As a result of the statistical analysis of the total yield values, Tukey's 5% level difference between irrigation treatments was found to be significant. In the first year, K100, KS75, S-YIS75, A-YIS75 and A-YIS50 treatments were statistically at the highest efficiency values and there was no statistically difference between them. Again, in the first year, S-YIS50 and KS50 treatments had statistically the lowest efficiency values. In the second year, similar to the first year, but only the K100 and S-YIS75 treatments had the highest efficiency values statistically, and there was no statistically difference between them. Again, in the second year, KS50 treatment had the lowest efficiency value statistically. The SSKR value was calculated for the highest A-YIS50 for both years. The lowest SSKR value was determined in the first year KS50 and the second year in A-YIS75. In the study, generally, as the level of irrigation water reduced, the yield was decreased. Studies on saving irrigation water, in particular, it is increasingly important in arid and semi-arid regions where water is scarce and expensive. In this context, an advantage of YIS treatment is that the reduction in yield remains smaller than the rate of reduction in irrigation water.