INFLUENCE OF IRRIGATION RATE ON PRODUCTION, QUALITY AND STORAGE ABILITY OF CUCUMBER GROWN UNDER TRANSPARENT POLYETHYLENE LOW TUNNELS

A field experiment was conducted under clear polyethylene low tunnels
which furnished with drip irrigation during the two winter seasons of 2003 and 2004.
The study was carried out at Borollous area which represents the circumstance and
conditions of coastal zone of north Nile Delta. The objective of the investigation was to
find out the effect of watering with 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 ETo on Cucumber (Cucumis
sativus L.) productivity, yield components and post-harvest parameters.
Data revealed that irrigation with 0.6 ETa was the most suitable watering for
cucumber in such area due to various advantages such as highest yield, least applied
water, highest productivity per each unit of applied water. In addition, this level was
the best regarding the vegetative growth of cucumber crop.
Irrigation with (T1) 0.6 gave the lowest values in both weight loss and decay
percent and exhibited the highest fruit quality including
This work was supported by "Improvement of the main vegetable crops and hybrid
production project".
and firmness. Besides, T, had significantly higher dry matter, total soluble solids and
total chlorophyll content than the other treatments.
Weight loss % and decay percent increased as the storage period was
prolonged. Additionally Visual quality and chemical constituents (dry matter, total
soluble solids and total chlorophyll) decreased in cucumber fruit during the storage
                period.