TITLE:
Effect of Irrigation Method and Non-Uniformity of Irrigation on Potato Performance and Quality
AUTHORS:
Kamal H. Amer, Abdellateif A. Samak, Jerry L. Hatfield
KEYWORDS:
Potato Yield and Quality, Furrow Irrigation, Trickle Irrigation, Scheduling, Crop Coefficient
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Water Resource and Protection,
Vol.8 No.3,
March
17,
2016
ABSTRACT: Potato growth, yield, and quality under improved irrigation methods and non-uniformity
of their irrigation applications are important to enhance water management in arid
regions. A field experiment was conducted in 2014 spring and fall growing seasons
using potato (Solanum tuberosum) grown in northern Egypt at Shibin El Kom,
Menofia, Egypt to evaluate potato response to furrow or trickle irrigation. A Randomized
Split-Plot Design with irrigation method randomly distributed and non-uniformity
of irrigation applications evaluated along either irrigation furrow or trickle lateral
as dependent variables measured at the 3rd, 13th, 23rd, 33rd, 43rd and 53rd m along the 55 m irrigation line. Traditional (TF) and partial (PF) furrows as well
as trickle point (TP) and line (TL) sources were used as irrigation methods. Each
treatment was repeated three times. For a 33rd m treatment, seasonal
optimum water use by potato was 328, 234, 269 and 292 mm over 118 days in spring
and 200, 164, 178 and 186 mm over 122 days in fall under TF, PF, TP and TL irrigation
methods, respectively. Potato tuber yield and quality were significantly affected
by growing season (S), irrigation method (I) and non-uniformity of irrigation application
(U). Tuber yield, total soluble solid (TSS) and leaf area index (LAI) were significantly
affected by I and U, and their interaction I * U; harvest index (HI) was not affected
by I but U. Except for TSS by S * I and HI by U * I and S * I, results showed no
significant differences. Moreover, tuber weight, number and marketable yield were
significantly affected by S, I, U and I * U interaction, except medium tuber size
and culls by S. A given 33rd treatment under partial furrow and trickle
irrigation, relative to that of traditional furrow, enhanced tuber yield and improved
quality in both growing seasons. In non-un- iform irrigation application over two
growing seasons, potato crop response was developed under varied irrigation methods.
Tuber yields were significantly affected in a linear relationship (r2 ≥
0.75) by either water deficit or excessive water under irrigation methods.