Irrigation requirements for cucumber under different mulch colors.

摘要

Field experiment was conducted during two successive seasons of 2007 and 2008 at El-Bosaily farm El-Behira governorate in the north coastal of Egypt to study the effect of different irrigation requirements and mulch colors on plant growth and yield of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) under the plastic houses. The treatments were seven polyethylene (PE) mulch treatments (transparent, red, green, blue, yellow, black and no cover (control)) and four applied irrigation levels 0.60, 0.80, 1.00 and 1.20 of the potential evapotranspiration estimated according to class A pan equation were applied by using drip irrigation system. Data revealed that using plastic mulch decreased irrigation requirements of cucumber plants compared to without plastic mulch. Regarding the polyethylene mulch color, data revealed that transparent PE recorded the highest values of yield and number of fruits per plant during the two successive seasons. Increasing water level up to 0.80 (ET) enhanced yield with different plastic mulch treatments, while plant growth and yield decreased with increasing water level to 1.20 (ET). However, Using 0.80 (ET) with different plastic much increased water use efficiency compared to using 1.00 (ET) or 1.20 (ET) without plastic mulch.