Impact of drip irrigation and plastic mulching on yield and economics of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

Drip irrigation is crucial in the current agricultural scenario for vegetable crops, as it optimizes water use efficiency by delivering precise amounts of water directly to the plant roots, thereby conserving water resources and enhancing crop yields. Yield enhancement in cucumber, a significant horticultural crop, can be achieved by integrating drip irrigation and plastic mulching to maximize water productivity while minimizing losses. In the current consequences, a field study was conducted from November to December in two consecutive years (2021-2022 and 2022-23) at the experimental field of Precision Farming Development Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India. The study aimed to quantify the irrigation water requirements for cucumber using drip irrigation and plastic mulch. Eight treatments with varying irrigation levels and the use of plastic mulch were assessed in a randomized block design with three replications. The crop's irrigation water requirement was determined using the FAO-56 Penman-Monteith model. The results showed that the highest plant height (193.5 cm), number of leaves (43.3), fruit length (18.5), fruit weight (279.0 g), and cucumber yield (15.9 t/ha) were achieved with 100% irrigation water requirement along with plastic mulch during the first and second season. These results were closely followed by treatments with 80% of the crop water requirement using drip irrigation and plastic mulch. The study concluded that applying 80% of the estimated irrigation water (142.1 mm) using drip irrigation and plastic mulch could be recommended to obtain higher productivity in cucumber.