Effects of deficit irrigation and fertigation on growth, yield and water productivity of greenhouse-grown cucumber | |
| Author | Anjum, Muhammad Sadiq |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.WM-19-23 |
| Subject(s) | Microirrigation--Pakistan Cucumbers--Growth Fertilizers--Application--Pakistan Greenhouse plants--Irrigation |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Water Engineering and Management |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | The basic need to make available fresh and good quality products for extended time throughout year lead to the implementation of using greenhouse technology, so protected cropping system has become a very popular production system in Agriculture especially nowadays in Pakistan. Evaluation of crop’s growth, yield, and water productivity and irrigation system became essential. The major objectives of the research are to assess the effects of deficit irrigation and fertigation on growth and yield of greenhouse-grown cucumber, and assessment of water productivity of cucumber inside the greenhouse. To accomplish these goals, an experimental study was performed on sandy loam soil, and Chia Thai variety of cucumber through drip irrigation system having emitter flow rate of 2.40 lph in the greenhouse of Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand. The experimental study was carried out on complete randomized design (CRD) with three replication having ten treatments with different irrigation and fertigation levels i.e. three irrigation levels (100%, 80% and 60% of ETc) in which each irrigation level was treated with three fertilizer levels (100%, 80% and 60%RDF) and additional control treatment (furrow irrigation with fertilizer 100%RDF) in December 2018 to March 2019. A set of measurements were noted related to growth, crop’s production, water productivity, and drip system‘s performance. The statistically results revealed that deficit irrigation and fertigation doses showed positive effect on the growth and production of greenhouse-grown cucumber. Among all the treatments, T5 (W80% ETc F80% RDF) was perceived to be more appropriate as it took fewer days for the completion of germination (8.7 DAS), first leaf (8.0 DAS), first branch (17 DAS), first flowering (26 DAS), fruit setting (29 DAS), fruit maturity (48 DAS), gave more number of fruits/plant (8.96), highest yield (66.71 t/ha). While, treatments under full irrigation and control showed inadequate results in growth and yield components, but growth was slightly higher than deficit treatments during fruit development. Similarly, Water productivity (14.47 kg/m3) was found higher under deficit irrigation. While, full irrigation and control treatments showed inadequate results regarding the water productivity. The reduction in water productivity as compared to other studies was less due to high temperature, without use of mulch, high infiltration rate of sandy loam soil. On the basis of results, irrigation and fertigation plan, 80%ETc and 80%RDF was found suitable for sandy loam soil for potential growth, yield, water productivity and water use efficiency of greenhouse grown cucumber by using drip irrigation System |
| Year | 2019 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Engineering and Technology (SET) |
| Department | Department of Civil and Infrastucture Engineering (DCIE) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Water Engineering and Management (WM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Datta, Avishek;Shrestha, Sangam; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Babel, Mukand Singh;Ekasit Kositsakulchai ; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | World Bank;Punjab Agriculture Department, Pakistan; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2019 |