Effects of irrigation amount and various fertigation methods on yield and quality of cucumber in greenhouse.

Taking cucumber as experimental plant, an experiment was conducted to study the effects of irrigation amount and fertigation methods on growth, yield and quality of cucumber in greenhouse. The experiment had designed two irrigation levels, i.e. 100% ET₀(W₁) and 75% ET₀ (W₂), and four fertigation fertilization ratios, i.e. 100%, 66.6%, 33.3% and 0% (Z₁₀₀, Z₆₆, Z₃₃, Z₀) fertigation of a total amount of (360:180:540 kg·hm^-2) (N:P₂O₅:K₂O) by 8 times with the corresponding remainders (0%, 33.3%, 66.6% and 100%) were applied to soil as basic fertilization before the planting according to the recommended fertilization rate, and no fertilizer treatment was set up as the control (CK). Results showed that irrigation and fertilization levels had positive correlations with plant height, leaf areas, dry mass, yield and quality of cucumber. Yield at W₁Z₁₀₀ was the highest, reaching 67760 kg·hm^-2. W₂ treatment increased the mean water use efficiency (WUE) by 9.4% compared to W₁. W₂Z₁₀₀ treatment had the highest WUE, reaching 47.13 kg·m^-3. Yield at W₂Z₁₀₀ was only 3.4% lower than the maximum, but saved 25% of water. Yield and dry matter at Z₁₀₀ were 15.3% and 16.8% higher than at Z₀, respectively, the cucumber fruit vitamin C, soluble protein and soluble sugar contents were increased, and the water use efficiency was increased by 19.1%. W₂Z₁₀₀ treatment was the best treatment which could enable cucumber to obtain both the high-yield and the high-quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]