Effect of irrigation scheduling on yield, quality and water use efficiency of potato plants grown under deficit irrigation conditions

Authors

  • El-Sawy, S.M. Vegetable Research Dept., Agricultural and Biological Research Institute, National Research Centre, 33 El Buhouth St. Dokki, P.O. Box 12622, Cairo, Egypt.
  • M.A. Marwa Water Relations and Field Irrigation Department, Agricultural and Biological Research Institute, National Research Centre, 33 El Buhouth St. Dokki, P.O. Box 12622, Cairo, Egypt.
  • A.F. El-Shafie College of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021 China.
  • A.E. Hamza Vegetable Research Dept., Agricultural and Biological Research Institute, National Research Centre, 33 El Buhouth St. Dokki, P.O. Box 12622, Cairo, Egypt.
  • H.E. Jun Institute of Environmental Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China. / China-Arab Joint International Research Laboratory for Featured Resources and Environmental Governance in Arid Region, Yinchuan 750021, China.
  • Sun Zhaojun College of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021 China. / Institute of Environmental Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China. / China-Arab Joint International Research Laboratory for Featured Resources and Environmental Governance in Arid Region, Yinchuan 750021, China.

Keywords:

Deficit irrigation, Irrigation scheduling, Potato, Yield, Leaf relative water content, Membrane stability index, IWUE

Abstract

Under arid and semi-arid regions, increasing the efficiency of water consumption has become an imperative. In this concern two field experiments were carried out during the two growing seasons of 2020/2021 and 2021/2022, at the Experimental farm of National Research Centre, in El-Nubaria region, El-Behira Governorate, North of Egypt. Tomato plants were exposed to deficit irrigation (DI)
treatments: 100% (control), 80%, 60% and 40% of ETo (Reference evapotranspiration) and irrigation scheduling (one time per day and two times per day (in the morning and in the evening)) in order to investigate their effects on vegetative growth of potato plants and tubers yield and quality of potatoes. Results show that, deficit irrigation treatments significantly decreased the vegetative growth, tubers yield parameters, total chlorophyll content and tubers quality parameters (N, P, K and carbohydrates), leaf relative water content (LRWC) and membrane stability index (MSI) of potato plants, compared to 100% and 80% ETo treatments. While, water stress treatments improved irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE). For irrigation scheduling, potato plants which irrigated two times per day produced the highest significant values of vegetative growth, tubers yield and quality characteristics, as well as LRWC and MSI, while the highest significant values of IWUE were observed with potato plants which irrigated one time per day. Regarding, the effect of interaction between deficit irrigation and irrigation scheduling treatments, potato plants were irrigated by 100% or 80% ETo two times per day produced the highest significant values for vegetative growth and tubers yield of potato plants, as well as enhanced tuber
quality parameters. It could be concluded that potato plants which grown under DI conditions (80, 60 and 40% ET0) with applying the irrigation scheduling two times per day may improve the vegetative growth, tubers yield and quality under sandy soil conditions.

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Published

30.06.2022

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 02 (2022): APRIL-JUNE 2022

Section

Articles

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.