Abstract
Water scarcity and frequent drought spells are becoming critical challenges to sustainable agricultural development, especially in arid and semiarid regions. Thus, this work aims to investigate the effect of deficit irrigation and varying mulching materials on soil moisture content, salt distribution, and potato yield. The experiment consisted of three irrigation regimes (I100%, I80%, and I60%) of crop evapotranspiration (ETc), designated as I100%, I80%, and I60% of ETc, and five mulching treatments viz. (i) without mulch (WM), (ii) poultry manure mulch (PMM), (iii) rice straw mulch (RSM), (iv) white plastic mulch (WPM), and (v) black plastic mulch (BPM), which were continued for two consecutive growing seasons. The results showed that soil salinity was affected by mulching and irrigation levels as the salt content increased from the initial soil salinity. Moreover, I60% recorded the highest salt accumulation in the soil profile for WM treatment compared to the rest of the irrigation and mulching treatments. It was also revealed that PMM remained unmatched by significantly producing the highest potato yield compared to other mulching materials. However, the average potato yield decreased by 13.83% and 29.16% in the 2016 season for I80% and I60% and by 12.95% and 30.91% in the 2017 season, respectively, in comparison to full irrigation (I100%). So, when sufficient irrigation water is available, full irrigation (I100%) and PMM treatment are recommended to achieve the maximum potato tuber yield, which has a minimum impact on increasing salinity. However, when the discharge is insufficient, deficit irrigation (I80%) and PMM treatment are recommended to conserve 20% of the irrigation water applied with a minimum reduction in tuber yield and a slight increase in soil salinity.
Highlights
In Egypt, more than 80% of water resources are used for irrigating crops of immense economic significance [1], which ensure the livelihood and food security of the populace
The average potato tuber yield increased due to mulching treatments of PPM, rice straw mulch (RSM), white plastic mulch (WPM), and black plastic mulch (BPM) over without mulch (WM) treatment by 75.26%, 56.77%, 45.11%, and 33.03% in 2016, and by 65.74%, 50.31%, 37.42%, and 22.53% in 2017, respectively. These results demonstrated that mulching could mitigate the effects of water stress on plant growth and produce optimal potato yields
The yield increased due to the applied mulching, which can be attributed to a lower rate of water loss from the soil by evaporation, leading to significant conservation of soil moisture
Summary
In Egypt, more than 80% of water resources are used for irrigating crops of immense economic significance [1], which ensure the livelihood and food security of the populace. The water shortage has emerged as one of the vital problems of and the most serious challenge to the sustainable development. Eco-friendly, biologically viable, and economically doable agricultural practices must be developed to conserve soil moisture. Conservation of irrigation water and increases in crop productivity are two interrelated challenges in Egypt [5]. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is the third most cultivated food crop after rice and wheat [6], and it constitutes the staple food of many nations. In Egypt, it is the second most cultivated vegetable crop after tomato. Irrigation management becomes pivotal for potato production, as per the varietal potential
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