CUCUMBER GROWTH AND YIELD IN PLASTIC GREENHOUSES UNDER DIFFERENT EMITTER TYPES AND LATERAL LINE LOCATION

Abstract

Field experiment was carried out in the experimental farm of Faculty of Agriculture, Menoufiya University, Sheaben El-Kom during the season of 2009, to evaluate the best performance of surface trickle irrigation system of cucumber crop in plastic greenhouses. Two types of emitter (pressure compensating and orifice vortex type), two different emitters discharge (4 and 8 l/h), and two different ways for using the lateral line (one lateral per one plant row and one lateral per two plant rows) were used under two plastic greenhouses (opened and closed greenhouse). The measured parameters which were affected due to the variation in the studied factors were soil moisture and salt distribution in soil profile, rate of growing in plant height, the value of total crop yield, crop water use efficiency, distribution system of root in soil profile. The obtained result is recommended in opened greenhouses using the surface trickle irrigation system with one lateral per two plant rows. Meanwhile, in closed greenhouse using the surface trickle irrigation system with one lateral per one plant row. The obtained results showed that the pressure compensating emitter treatment at discharge 8 l/h and one lateral per two plant rows has the highest values of cucumber yield (10.27 Mg/Fed) and water use efficiency (55.91 kg/m3 of water) and it gave a better increasing distribution of moisture [(25.2-20.04)/20.04]=25% and the highest decreasing of salt accumulations (36%) comparing all studied treatment. Meanwhile, in closed greenhouse the best treatment was the orifice emitter at discharge 4 l/h and one lateral per one plant row.