Articles
THE EFFECT OF IRRIGATION ON THE ECONOMIC AND NUTRITIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SELECTED VEGETABLES
Article number
1038_27
Pages
231 – 238
Language
English
Abstract
Field trials were established in 2008-2011 with processing tomato, pepper, spring lettuce and leek at two levels of irrigation: the optimal set to (min) 65% of exploitable soil water capacity and a stress level set to 45% of capacity.
It was found that the amount of water delivered to plants influenced tomato yield only slightly.
Reduced irrigation (by 44%) in 2009 led to a yield reduction of only 5.5%. The lowest water consumption per kg of marketable yield (26-68 L/kg) was found in tomato.
In stress treatment of pepper we found in 2011 a significant reduction in marketable yield (27%) and a decrease of the first grade yield.
Significant water savings in lettuce was assured by a non-woven canopy cover.
In such a case, total consumption of water during lettuce cultivation was only 105 mm.
In trials with leek in 2011, when temperatures were lower than in 2010, we found a higher consumption of irrigation water while yields were lower.
The stress treatment, when plants were supplied by 28% less of water compared to the optimum, led to the yield reduction by 25%. In the more favourable temperatures in the 2010 the partial stress did not affect yield.
There was no significant effect of irrigation on nutritional value: total anti-oxidant capacity, dry matter, fibre content, or nitrates.
An exception was the signif-icant increase in the dry matter content of pepper in stress irrigation in 2011. The quantity of delivered irrigation water is closely related to the changes of temperature and precipitation and was just one of the factors affecting the yield of vegetables.
It was found that the amount of water delivered to plants influenced tomato yield only slightly.
Reduced irrigation (by 44%) in 2009 led to a yield reduction of only 5.5%. The lowest water consumption per kg of marketable yield (26-68 L/kg) was found in tomato.
In stress treatment of pepper we found in 2011 a significant reduction in marketable yield (27%) and a decrease of the first grade yield.
Significant water savings in lettuce was assured by a non-woven canopy cover.
In such a case, total consumption of water during lettuce cultivation was only 105 mm.
In trials with leek in 2011, when temperatures were lower than in 2010, we found a higher consumption of irrigation water while yields were lower.
The stress treatment, when plants were supplied by 28% less of water compared to the optimum, led to the yield reduction by 25%. In the more favourable temperatures in the 2010 the partial stress did not affect yield.
There was no significant effect of irrigation on nutritional value: total anti-oxidant capacity, dry matter, fibre content, or nitrates.
An exception was the signif-icant increase in the dry matter content of pepper in stress irrigation in 2011. The quantity of delivered irrigation water is closely related to the changes of temperature and precipitation and was just one of the factors affecting the yield of vegetables.
Authors
R. Pokluda, K. Petříková, T. Kopta, M. Jurica, A. Jezdinský, J. Vojtísková
Keywords
water stress, yield, nutritional value
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