Nutrient and Water Use Efficiency of Cucumbers Grown in Soilless Media under a Naturally Ventilated Greenhouse

Cucumbers were planted in soilless media in a split plot design with three replicates under a naturally ventilated greenhouse to study nutrient and water use efficiency in relation to fertigation management. Three fertigation levels (F۱-۱۰۰%, F۲-۸۵% and F۳-۷۰%) and three varieties (V۱-Kafka, V۲-Multistar and V۳-PBRK-۴) were applied to the main and subplots in the experiment. The amount of irrigation water applied for growing cucumbers was computed to be ۲۵۵۹.۴ m۳ ha-۱. The Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE) of macro and micro nutrients was computed to be in the order of S> P> Mg> N> Ca> K and Cu≥ Mo> Zn> B> Mn> Fe, respectively. Among the varieties, NUE in V۲ remained statistically higher than V۳ for each level of fertigation. Similarly, among fertigation levels, NUE under F۳ remained statistically higher than F۱ for each variety. Among interactions, NUE under treatment F۳V۲ was statistically higher than F۲V۳, F۱V۲, F۱V۱, and F۱V۳, respectively. Irrigation Water Use Efficiency (IWUE) was found significantly higher (۵۱.۴ kg m-۳) under treatment F۱V۲ than F۳V۳ (۳۴.۵ kg m-۳). Crop Water Use Efficiency (CWUE) was also found statistically different both among fertigation levels and varieties, having highest and lowest values of ۱۷۹.۹ and ۱۲۰.۶ kg m-۳ under treatment F۱V۲ and F۳V۳, respectively. Thus, growing offseason seedless cucumbers in soilless media inside a naturally ventilated greenhouse, where the environment was partially under control, helped in improving nutrient and water use efficiency compared to conventional cultivation.

کلیدواژه ها:

Crop water use efficiency ، Irrigation water use efficiency ، Nutrient use efficiency ، Offseason cucumber.