Effect of Drip Irrigation Regimes and Mulching on Cucumber Production under Cooled Plastic Tunnel Conditions, Kassala State, Sudan

Abstract

An experiment was conducted in a cooled plastic tunnel greenhouse during March-August of 2022 and 2023, the objectives of this study to investigate the effect of drip irrigation regimes and mulching on yield and yield components of cucumber under greenhouse conditions, Kassala, Sudan. Seedlings of the most popular cucumber hybrid (Fatin) were planted on 40cm and 50 cm inter and intra-row spacing, respectively. The experiment was composed of two factors; the irrigation regimes (75%, 100% and 125% of recommended irrigation water) and the other was mulching (mulching and no mulching). These factors were arranged in split plot design with three replications. The main plots were allocated for irrigation regimes and subplots for mulching. The subplot size was 200cm×70cm (bed/mastaba). Results reported that125% of recommended irrigation water (RIW) under drip irrigation recorded highest yield and yield components in both seasons. Moreover, the highest values of yield and yield components; fruit length, fruit diameter and fruit weight were obtained under 125% of (RIW) with mulch while, the lowest were obtained with75% of (RIW) without mulch on both seasons. The highest values of water productivity and economic water productivity were recorded under 125% of (RIW) with mulch. On the other hands, the highest marginal rate return (MRR) was obtained under 100% of (RIW) with no mulch.