RESPONSE OF POTATO VEGETATIVE GROWTH AND WATER PRODUCTIVITY TO IRRIGATION SYSTEM AND TREATED WASTEWATER

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during 2022 and 2023 at the Experimental Farm of National Research Center (NRC), El-Noubaria Governor, Egypt, in sandy soil to study the effect of irrigation system, water quality on vegetative growth, tuber yield and water productivity (WP) of Potato. The parameters of vegetative growth (plant length, LAI; branches number) under Irrigation system, treated waste water (TWW) were increased by 6.0%, 14.6%; 15.3 % relative to bubbler irrigation system and FW, respectively. Yield and WP under drip irrigation system, TWW were increased by 5.4% and 5.7% relative to bubbler irrigation system and fresh water (FW), respectively. Plant length and leaf are index (LAI) were the highest values under the control treatment (100% ETo water applied), while the branches number increased by decrease of applied water. Yield, WP and fertilizer productivity (FP), could be arranged in ascending order: 50% < 75% < 100% due to amount of water applied. The effect of irrigation by drip irrigation system and using TTW was positively on vegetative growth parameters, (yield, WP and FP). This could be attributed to the improvement in soil physical characteristics under using Drip irrigation system relative to bubbler irrigation system and the soluble nutrients in the TWW relative to fresh water.