The Effect of Deficit Irrigation and Mulching on The Growth, Yield and Fruit Quality of Watermelon
Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: This study with the aim of determining the effect of deficit irrigation and mulching on watermelon was conducted with a preliminary experiment in the form of split plots and a design of complete randomized blocks with three replications, in the Research and Education Center of Agriculture and Natural Resources in the south of Kerman province (Jiroft), in 2021-2022.Drip irrigation as the main plot at three levels of 100, 70 and 50% of water requirement and mulching in three levels of crushed date palm leaf, black plastic and no mulch, as the sub-plot, were considered.As results demonstrate, the main and interaction effects of the treatments on stem length, leaf area, yield, water productivity, leaf relative water content, photosynthetic pigments, proline, total phenol, leaf superoxide dismutase enzyme and fruit length and width were significant.The main effects of irrigation and mulching on internode length, membrane stability index and vitamin C, and the main effect of the irrigation on the percentage of fruit dry matter, stem branches, and the main effect of mulching on fruit shape and soluble solids were significant.Fruit pH and total acidity, tasting and lycopene were not significantly affected by the treatments.The highest yield (60.1 ton/ha) was observed in the full irrigation and plastic mulch, and the highest water productivity (15.1 kg/m 3 ) was recorded in the 70% irrigation and plastic mulch, but no significant difference with full irrigation and plastic and date palm leaves mulches.The findings showed that the effectiveness of plastic mulch on the watermelon growth and yield was higher with 100% and 70% irrigation compared to 50% irrigation.The date palm leaf mulch, despite being superior to the control in the full irrigation, had insignificant positive effects in deficit irrigation levels due to its high sodium content (1800 mg/kg).
Authors: Bahremand, N., Aroiee, H., Aien, A.
Institution: Ferdowsi University of Mashhad
Language: English
Subfield: Soil Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4396847245