Abstract
Water scarcity and climate variability impede the realization of satisfactory vegetable yields in arid regions. It is imperative to delve into high-productivity and water-use-efficient protected cultivation systems for the sustained supply of vegetables in harsh arid climates. A strenuous effort was made to find suitable protected structures and levels of irrigation for greenhouse cucumber production in hot arid zones of India. In this endeavor, the effects of three low-tech passively ventilated protected structures, i.e., naturally ventilated polyhouse (NVP), insect-proof screenhouse (IPS) and shade screenhouse (SHS), as well as three levels of irrigation (100%, 80% and 60% of evapotranspiration, ET) were assessed for different morpho-physiological, yield and quality traits of the cucumber in a two-year study. Among the low-tech protected structures, NVP was found superior to IPS and SHS for cucumber performance, as evidenced by distinctly higher fruit yields (i.e., 31% and 121%, respectively) arising as a result of higher fruit number/plants and mean fruit weights under NVP. The fruit yield decreased in response to the degree of water shortage in deficit irrigation across all protected structures. However, the interaction effect of the protected structure and irrigation regime reveals that plants grown under moderate deficit (MD, 20% deficit) inside NVP could provide higher yields than those obtained under well-watered (WW, 100% of ET) conditions inside IPS or SHS. Plant growth indices such as vine length, node number/plant, and shoot dry mass were also measured higher under NVP. The greater performance of cucumber under NVP was attributed to a better plant physiological status (i.e., higher photosystem II efficiency, leaf relative water content and lower leaf water potential). The water deficit increased water productivity progressively with its severity; it remained higher in NVP, as reflected by 20% and 94% higher water productivity than those recorded in IPS and SHS, respectively, across different irrigation levels. With the exception of total soluble solids and fruit dry matter content (which were recorded higher), fruit quality parameters were reduced under water deficit conditions. The findings of this study emphasize the importance of considering suitable low-tech protected structures (i.e., NVP) and irrigation levels (i.e., normal rates for higher yields and moderate deficit (-20%) for satisfactory yields) for cucumber in hot arid regions. The results provide valuable insights for growers as well as researchers aiming to increase vegetable production under harsh climates and the water-limiting conditions of arid regions.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
NVP fruit yield was 31% higher than IPS.
- Taxon
- cucumber
Cucumis sativuse0 - Treatment
- NVPe0
- Outcome
- fruit yieldse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 31%e0
- Comparator
- IPSe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“NVP was found superior to IPS and SHS for cucumber performance, as evidenced by distinctly higher fruit yields (i.e., 31% and 121%, respectively)”
Claim · model-written summary
NVP fruit yield was 121% higher than SHS.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativuse0
- Treatment
- NVPe0
- Outcome
- fruit yieldse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 121%e0
- Comparator
- SHSe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“NVP was found superior to IPS and SHS for cucumber performance, as evidenced by distinctly higher fruit yields (i.e., 31% and 121%, respectively)”
Claim · model-written summary
NVP had higher fruit number and mean fruit weight.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- NVPe0
- Outcome
- fruit number/plants and mean fruit weightse0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“higher fruit number/plants and mean fruit weights under NVP”
t0“Cucumber”
Claim · model-written summary
Fruit yield decreased with greater irrigation deficit across structures.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- deficit irrigatione0
- Outcome
- fruit yielde0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The fruit yield decreased in response to the degree of water shortage in deficit irrigation across all protected structures.”
t0“Cucumber”
Claim · model-written summary
Moderate deficit irrigation in NVP yielded more than well watered IPS.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- moderate deficit (MD, 20% deficit) inside NVPe0
- Outcome
- yieldse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- well-watered (WW, 100% of ET) conditions inside IPSe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“plants grown under moderate deficit (MD, 20% deficit) inside NVP could provide higher yields than those obtained under well-watered (WW, 100% of ET) conditions inside IPS or SHS”
t0“Cucumber”
Claim · model-written summary
Moderate deficit irrigation in NVP yielded more than well watered SHS.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- moderate deficit (MD, 20% deficit) inside NVPe0
- Outcome
- yieldse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- SHSe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“plants grown under moderate deficit (MD, 20% deficit) inside NVP could provide higher yields than those obtained under well-watered (WW, 100% of ET) conditions inside IPS or SHS”
t0“Cucumber”
Claim · model-written summary
Vine length, node number and shoot dry mass were higher under NVP.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- NVPe0
- Outcome
- vine length, node number/plant, and shoot dry masse0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Plant growth indices such as vine length, node number/plant, and shoot dry mass were also measured higher under NVP.”
t0“Cucumber”
Claim · model-written summary
Water productivity increased as water deficit became more severe.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- water deficite0
- Outcome
- water productivitye0
- Direction
- increasede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The water deficit increased water productivity progressively with its severity”
t0“Cucumber”
Claim · model-written summary
Other fruit quality parameters declined with water deficit.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- water deficit conditionse0
- Outcome
- fruit quality parameterse0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“fruit quality parameters were reduced under water deficit conditions”
t0“Cucumber”
Claim · model-written summary
Normal irrigation is recommended for higher cucumber yields.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativust0
- Outcome
- normal rates for higher yieldse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“normal rates for higher yields”
t0“Cucumber”
Claim · model-written summary
Moderate deficit is recommended for satisfactory cucumber yields.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativust0
- Outcome
- moderate deficit (-20%) for satisfactory yieldse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“moderate deficit (-20%) for satisfactory yields”
t0“Cucumber”
The same questions in other papers
protected cultivation · growth · Cucumis sativus (cucumber)Positive and negative results
4 papers in the same direction as this paper · 1 reporting no difference from an alternative
- positive
- no effect
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2 papers more in this group
See all 6 papers →protected cultivation · yield · Cucumis sativus (cucumber)Results agree
6 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
- positive
3 papers more in this group
See all 7 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.