Comparing The Application of Alternating Partial Irrigation and Deficit Irrigation on Potatoes

Abstract

This research was conducted in AL-derkhabia in countryside rural Damascus during the season 2021, and the Potato tubers was planted on 8 April, 2021(Summer season), to study the possibility of improving the water use efficiency of Potatoes crop (Everest variety) by applying Deficit Irrigation. The experiment was designed Randomized complete block design with nine treatments of different amounts of water during plant growth stages in three replications for each treatment on the level of confidence 95% . The treatments were as follows: Full irrigation treatment FI (control), Alternating partial irrigation 80% of full irrigation for all growth stages API80, Alternating partial irrigation 80% of full irrigation for both stages (tuber filling and maturity) API80TF, Alternating partial irrigation 70% of full irrigation for all growth stages API70 , Alternate partial irrigation treatment 70% of full irrigation for the two stages (tuber filling and maturity) API70TF, Deficit irrigation 80% of full irrigation for all growth stages DI80, Deficit irrigation 80% of full irrigation for both stages (tuber filling and maturity) DI80TF, Deficit Irrigation 70% of full irrigation for all growth stages DI70 , Deficit irrigation treatment 70% of full irrigation for the two stages (tuber filling and maturity) DI70TF.

The results showed that there were no significant differences in productivity between the treatment 100% of full irrigation and each of  treatments of Alternating partial irrigation 80% and 70% of full irrigation for the two stages (tuber filling and maturity) and Deficit irrigation 80% and 70% of full irrigation for the two stages (tuber filling and maturity) and the values was (32.72, 30.56, 29.98, 30.86, 30.74 Ton.h^-3 respectively). While the results showed that there were significant differences in productivity between the treatment 100% of full irrigation, and each of the treatments Alternating partial irrigation 80% of full irrigation for all stages of growth (API80) and the treatment of Deficit irrigation 70% of full irrigation for all stages of growth (API70), and Deficit irrigation 80% of full irrigation for all stages of growth (DI80) and the treatment of Deficit irrigation 70% of full irrigation for all stages of growth (DI70), with a percentage decrease of 47%, 56%, 38% and 47%, respectively. The highest value of water use efficiency was recorded in Alternating partial irrigation treatment 70% of full irrigation for the two stages (tuber filling and maturity) API70TF, with a value of 6.59Kg.m^-3, and it was followed by the treatment Alternating partial irrigation 80% of full irrigation for both stages (tuber filling and maturity) API80TF with a value of 6.34 Kg.m^-3. And each of two treatments Alternating partial irrigation 80% and 70% of full irrigation for the two stages (tuber filling and maturity) achieved the highest values of tuber size with significant differences compared to the full irrigation treatment, with values (440, 418. 360 ml respectively).