Effect of application of super absorbent on the growth and yield of cucumber under deficit irrigation

This study was performed in order to evaluate the effects of application of super absorbent on the yield and water use efficiency of cucumber under deficit irrigation conditions in greenhouse. Plants cultivated in plastic pots and irrigation emitter with four liters per hour discharge was performed. Three levels of irrigation water height (10, 8.3 and 6.2 mm day-1) were used as the main factor in main plots in which. Four levels of super absorbent (Zero, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 percent weight percentage soil of super asorbant mixed in the soil) were distributed as sub plot. The experiment was a split plot based on RCBD with four replications. plant height, stem diameter, chlorophyll content, fruits length, diameter and weight, root length, root weight, fruit yield and water use efficiency were measured. Analysis of variance of the data showed that the simple effect of deficit irrigation is significant on all plant features except stem diameter. The simple effect of deficit irrigation, super absorbent and the interaction at the two factors were also significant on all parameters except the stem diameter. Highest fruit yield was obtained when plants were irrigated at full irrigation intervals and 0.4 percent superabsorbent mixed with the soil.