Water Management in Agriculture

Water Management in Agriculture

Evaluation of the precise irrigation management and potassium silicate application affects on the quantitative and qualitative yield of purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Graduated in Horticultural Science and Engineering - Medicinal Plants, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agronomy Sciences, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University (SANRU), Mazandaran, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of Horticultural Science and Engineering, Faculty of Agronomy Sciences, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University (SANRU), Mazandaran, Iran
3 Assistant professor of Agrometeorology, Water Engineering Department,, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University (SANRU), Sari, Mazandaran, Iran.
Abstract
In order to Evaluation of the precise irrigation management and potassium silicate application affects on the quantitative and qualitative yield of purslane, a factorial experiment was carried out based on a completely randomized design (CRD) with four replications in the greenhouse of Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University (SANRU), Mazandaran, Iran. The experimental treatments included drought stress at six levels of low (DS1: 12hr (125ml), DS2: 24hr (250ml)), moderate (DS3: 48hr (250ml), DS4: 72hr (500ml)) and severe (DS5: 72hr (250ml), DS6: 48hr (125ml)) stress and potassium silicate at three levels (S0: Control, S1: 1 mM, S2: 2 mM). Based on the findings, with increasing drought stress intensity, plant height, fresh and dry weight of roots and aerial parts decreased significantly. However, this decrease was moderated in treatments S1 and S2. The highest water productivity was observed in DS1 by 71.9, and the lowest was observed in DS5 and DS6 by 70.2 and 69.9, respectively. Also, in S1 and S2, there was a significant superiority over the control treatment by 0.030 and 0.031, respectively. The highest antioxidant activity was observed in moderate and severe stress treatments, while the lowest was in DS2 and DS1 treatments. Also, in S1 and S2 treatments, the antioxidant activity, phenolic content, and flavonoid content of the fruit were higher compared to the control treatment (S0).
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