Yield, Water and Nitrogen Use by Drip-irrigated Cabbage Grown under Different Levels of Applied Water

摘要

Drip irrigation, known for its efficient delivery of water to the root zone of crops, could be used for efficient management of scarce water that limits cabbage production and income levels for vegetable farmers during the dry season in Ghana. This studywas conducted to evaluate the productivity, water use efficiency (WUE) and fertilizer nitrogen (N) use efficiency (FNUE) of cabbage cultivars KK-Cross and Oxylus, grown using small-scale drip irrigation system under variable water application levels ina coastal savannah environment of Ghana during the dry season. Total fresh yield (TFY), total dry matter (TDM), WUE and FNUE of cabbage cultivars decreased with decreasing levels of applied water. Linear models adequately described the relationship between TFY and seasonal crop evapotranspiration (ETc) as well as between TDM and ETc for these cultivars. The NFUE and WUE were linearly correlated with the KK-Cross cultivar; however, the models could not adequately describe the relationship between NFUE and WUE for Oxylus. The cabbage productivity under water limiting conditions could be enhanced through efficient use of applied N and water by adopting good water management strategies as ensured by the drip irrigation technology, there is also the need toformulate management strategies, including reducing farm size to match limited available water and to ensure efficient use of resources and high productivity by drip-irrigated cabbage.