Effects of plug size and irrigation amount synergy on zucchini seedlings
WANG Yan1,2, GUO Wenzhong1*, LI Lingzhi2, QIN Li1,2, WANG Ruoying1,2, CHEN Fei1,FAN Fengcui3
1. Intelligent Equipment Technology Research Center of Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China; 2. College of Horticulture, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030800, China; 3. The Institute of Agricultural Information and Economics, Hebei Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, China
Abstract：In order to find out the optimal irrigation amount of plug trays for zucchini seedling cultivation, ″Nongyuan No. 1″ was used as the experimental material, and three treatments(32 holes, 50 holes, and 72 holes)were set up. The synergistic effects of different hole numbers and irrigation amount on the growth and water use efficiency of zucchini seedlings were studied by combining three irrigation levels(100%(I1), 75%(I2)and 50%(I3))of supplementary irrigation transpiration(ET). The results show that the stem diameter and leaf area of seedlings treated with 50-hole plug under 100%ET irrigation are significantly higher than those under other irrigation conditions, and the root morphology of seedlings under 75%ET is better than those under other conditions. The maximum water use efficiency of seedlings cultivated with 72-hole plug under 50% ET irrigation is 5.93 g/L, and the water use efficiency of seedlings under I2 and I3 irrigation is greater than I1. The daily water consumption and the number of days after sowing of single seedlings can be expressed by a linear function relationship. The interaction between the number of holes in the plug and the amount of irrigation significantly affects the growth of seedlings. Within the scope of this experimental study, the suitable conditions for efficient seedling cultivation of zucchini are 50-hole or 32-hole plugs, combined with 75% ET irrigation method, which can improve the water use efficiency of seedlings to achieve the purpose of water saving.
