Abstracto

Improving water use efficiency of strawberry under some cultivation systems

Evon K.Rizk, S.H.Seidhom

This investigation is an attempt to compare between two cultivation systems and the effect of irrigation mode (times and duration) on improving water use efficiency of strawberry. The two systems are; soil-less and soil cultures grown in El-Sheikh Zuwayid Research station, North Sinai, Egypt. Two experiments were conducted in randomized complete blocks design with three replicates. The treatments include two cultivation systems as main plots: A)-soil culture system and irrigation mode as sub-main plots; three daily irrigation times by drip irrigation systemtherewere, i.e., (T1) 1/4 hour, (T2) 1/3 hour and (T3) 1/2 hour with dripper discharge 4L/hour and, B) For soil-less culture system a deep-flow technique (DFT) with intermittent circulation (DFT/IC) as main plot, and sub-main plots as three daily irrigation times duration i.e.; (D1) 1/4 hour (4 times), (D2) 1/3 hour (3 times) and (D3) 1/2 hour (twice) as hydroponics system DFT is a closed system. The results were analyzed statistically. From the experiments, the following results were obtained: Significant differences among all treatments in soil culture, but non significant differences in soil-less culture for fruit yield of strawberry. The magnitude is in the order: T2 > T1 > T3 and D2 > D1 > D3 for the two trials. Strawberry produced higher fruit yield in soil-less culture than the conventional system. Significant decrease in water consumptive use of strawberry by decreasing irrigation times in the order of T1< T2 < T3 in soil culture system. But in soil-less culture system the water consumptive use value significantly decreased by increasing irrigation duration and decreasing the number of irrigation cycles, in the order of D3 < D2 < D1. Significant increase in water use efficiency of strawberry by decreasing irrigation times in the order of T1> T2 > T3 in soil culture system. But in soilless culture system the WUE value significantly increased by increasing irrigation duration and decreasing the number of irrigation cycles, in the order of D3 > D2 > D1. It is suggested to cultivate strawberry plants and irrigate dailywith one liter per plant in soil culture and twice at times of half an hour under the conditions of hydroponics system DFT in closed system at open field in El-Sheikh Zuwayid to obtain the highest water use efficiency. From the economic point of view, applying daily irrigation water amount of 1.33 liter per plant in soil culture and at times of 1/3 hour 3 times in soil-less culture leads to the highest investment ratio (IR).