Effects of different irrigation programs on cucumber plants grafted on different rootstocks

This research was conducted in a polyethylene greenhouse during spring season of 2010 to determine the effects of different irrigation programs on biomass, yield-and water use efficiency of cucumber plants grafted on different commercial rootstocks.
Four interspecific hybrids of Cucurbita maxima Duch. × C. moschata Duch. (RS841, Nunhems 9075, Maximus and TZ148) and one Lageneria siceraria (Macis) were used and compared with a self-grafted treatment (‘Gordion’) which was evaluated as control.
Three irrigation programs were applied based on indoor integrated solar radiation levels of 1, 2 and 4 MJ m^-2. The volume of applied nutrient solution was adjusted according to the rate of drained solution to applied solution.
The experimental design was two factorial randomized blocks with 3 replicates.
Plant growth, yield and water use efficiency showed differences according to the used rootstocks under different irrigation programs.
The highest yield was in RS841 (22.55 kg m^-2), followed by TZ148 and Maximus in the 2 MJ m^-2 irrigation program.
The yield of Macis was the lowest and was followed by the self grafted treatment.
There were no significant differences among the rootstocks in the 4 MJ m^-2 irrigation program.
It was concluded that the rootstocks RS841, TZ148 and Maximus could be used successfully in greenhouse cucumber growing with the irrigation program based on indoor integrated solar radiation level of 2 MJ m^-2.

International Symposium on New Technologies and Management for Greenhouses – GreenSys2015

B. Duman, Y. Tuzel, G.B. Oztekin, I.H. Tuzel

grafting, Cucurbita maxima × Cucurbita moschata, water stress, yield, WUE

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2017.1170.81