Effect of furrow and drip surface irrigation on growth and yield of broccoli (Brassica oleracea) grown under mulch and non-mulch conditions

Abstract

Adopting low-input and water-efficient technologies is crucial for crop production and agricultural sustainability, particularly in semi-arid regions, as the country's growing water demand highlights. The goal of the current study was to assess how well plastic mulch works at the field level to enhance surface irrigation performance. The combined effects of drip and furrow irrigation lengths, with and without plastic mulching, on broccoli productivity were evaluated in a field experiment. According to the study's findings, mulching produced the most flowers overall, with surface irrigation producing 20.67 Mg ha^-1 and drip irrigation 18.26 Mg ha^-1, Additionally, under furrow irrigation, broccoli flowers with mulching had larger average sizes (35.22 cm) than those without mulching (26.76 cm).