Evaluating the effect of tillage, irrigation, and organic fertilization systems on Some Growth and Yield Indicators of Cucumber Plants in Desert Soil

• Shihab Hamed Anad Aljubouri Ayad Jamil Al-Khafaji Karim Abdul-Nabi Ghazal

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The experiment was conducted in Najaf province at the University of Kufa - Agricultural Research Station for the summer season of 2023 AD in a sandy loam soil, classified according to the modern American classification as sub-maximal to the level of Typical Torrifluvent according to the global classification to evaluate the effect of tillage, irrigation and organic fertilization systems on water consumption efficiency and some physical and chemical properties of desert soil and cucumber yield of the (Mansour) variety. The experiment included three main factors: first, the tillage system, with three levels of tillage (traditional tillage using a moldboard plow), reduced tillage (heavy disc harrow), and no tillage; second, drip irrigation, with two levels (surface drip irrigation and subsurface drip irrigation); and third, fertilization, with three levels (no organic fertilizer, polymer fertilizer, organic fertilizer, and organic fertilizer with polymer). The experiment was conducted using split-plot randomized complete block design (RCBD) The most important results were as follows: The traditional tillage treatment resulted in the highest cucumber plant height (118.10 cm). The plant had a leaf area of ​​148.00 cm², a fresh root weight of 26.57 g, an average harvest of 1.729 kg ha⁻¹, and a total yield of 13.00 kg ha⁻¹ (ton ha⁻¹).The fertilization treatment combining organic fertilization and polymer addition significantly excelled the others, recording the highest values ​​for most growth and yield traits. The subsurface irrigation treatment recorded the highest values ​​for plant height (107.0 cm), leaf area (149.60 cm²), fresh root weight (352.80 g plant⁻¹), and average harvest of 1.424 kg ha⁻¹ (total yield). 11.393 kg ha⁻¹.bi- interaction treatments (organic fertilization, polymer addition, and conventional tillage), (organic fertilization, polymer addition, and subsurface drip irrigation), and (conventional tillage and subsurface drip irrigation) were significantly different and recorded the highest values ​​for plant growth and yield indicators.The results also showed that the triple interaction treatments (no tillage, organic fertilization with polymer addition, and subsurface drip irrigation) and (conventional tillage, organic fertilization with polymer addition, and subsurface drip irrigation) were significantly excelled and recorded the highest values ​​for most plant growth and yield traits.

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