Field-grown lettuce production optimized through precision irrigation water management using soil moisture-based capacitance sensors and biodegradable soil mulching

Abstract Scientists, environmentalists, and farmers are currently in pursuit of sustainable agricultural practices that can effectively ensure global food security while simultaneously mitigating environmental degradation. A field experiment was conducted to elucidate the impact of low-cost capacitance soil moisture-based sensors on lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L.) irrigation water conservation, agro-physiological aspects, and nutritional characteristics. The experiment also involved the use of five different types of soil mulching films: white geotextile (WGup), green geotextile (GGup), black plastic (BPup), white geotextile for both above and below ground (WGup-down), green geotextile for both above and below ground (GGup-down), in addition to un-mulched soil (control). The findings demonstrated that the application of WGup, BPup, WGup&down, and GGup&down resulted in a significant improvement in irrigation water conservation, with WGup exhibiting the highest savings at 41.86%, while the control group exhibited the least amount of water savings at 19.87%. Moreover, the highest productivity levels were observed in plants mulched with GGup&down, reaching 47,944.68 kg ha −1 , whereas the lowest productivity was recorded in plants mulched with green geotextile GGup at 22,377.89 kg ha −1 . In terms of irrigation water productivity (IWP), the order of effectiveness was BPup > GGup-down > WGup > WGup-down > GGup > Control, with BPup achieving the highest IWP at 60.19 kg m −3 and the control treatment reporting the lowest at 27.80 kg m −3 . The percentage of the irrigation water applied for crop evapotranspiration (Irc) showed that the control treatment saved the least amount of irrigation water, saving only 19.87%, while the best treatment was WGup, achieved the highest percentage of irrigation water savings at 41.86%. Additionally, mulched plants exhibited higher levels of nutrients (N, P, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, and Zn), ascorbic acid (AsA), and total phenol content (TPC), while showing lower nitrate content in the leaves compared to non-mulched plants. Overall, the utilization of soil moisture-based capacitance sensors and biodegradable mulching films has proven to be highly effective and low cost by 16.633 US$ year −1 to enhance irrigation water productivity, growth performance, nutritional quality, and overall productivity of lettuce crops, thereby contributing to the sustainability of lettuce production in arid regions.