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Use of Rainwater Harvesting from Roofs for Irrigation Purposes in Hydroponic Greenhouse Enterprises
This study was conducted to determine the irrigation water demand due to solar radiation in high-tech greenhouses using hydroponic systems in Turkey’s Mediterranean and continental climates, and to determine the annual water consumption and storage capacity with harvested rainwater. Intensive greenhouse cultivation and the recent increase in modern greenhouse cultivation were important factors in selecting the provinces for the study. The chosen provinces were Antalya and Adana, with a Mediterranean climate, and Afyonkarahisar and Kırşehir, with a continental climate. In this research, depending on the production period, the amount of water consumed per unit of area in greenhouses in Antalya, which has a Mediterranean climate, was determined to be 1173.52 L m−2 per yr−1, and in Adana, it was 1109.18 L m−2 per yr−1. In the provinces of Afyonkarahisar and Kırşehir, where a continental climate prevails, water consumption was calculated to be 1479.11 L m−2 per yr−1 and 1370.77 L m−2 per yr−1, respectively. Storage volumes for the provinces of Antalya, Adana, Afyonkarahisar and Kırşehir were found to be 438.39 L m−2, 122.71 L m−2, 42.12 L m−2 and 43.65 L m−2, respectively. For the provinces of Antalya, Adana, Afyonkarahisar and Kırşehir, the rates of rainwater harvesting and meeting plants’ water consumption were calculated to be 80.79%, 54.27%, 27.47% and 25.16%, respectively. In addition, the amount of water fee savings that could be achieved by rainwater harvesting was calculated to be USD 901.3 per yr−1 for Antalya, USD 835.3 per yr−1 for Adana, USD 247.6 per yr−1 for Afyonkarahisar and USD 210.2 per yr−1 for Kırşehir. As a result, rainwater harvesting will not only provide economic gain to enterprises but will also be important in reducing the negative effects of irregular rainfall regimes caused by climate change on underground and surface water resources. It was also concluded that enterprises should focus on popularizing rainwater harvesting.
The effects of high temperature and low humidity on crop water stress index of seed pumpkin plants (Cucurbita pepo L.) in semi-arid climate conditions
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of high temperature and low humidity on the crop water stress index (CWSI) of seed pumpkin plants grown under semi-arid climate conditions to determine the optimum irrigation time. This research unveils the critical impact of high temperature and low humidity on seed pumpkin growth, emphasizing the vital role of the CWSI in optimizing irrigation strategies and seed yield. Moreover, the relationship between CWSI, physiological parameters, and seed yield of the pumpkin was investigated. The mean CWSI values in the I70 (0.40) and I35 (0.56) treatments were 42% and 100% higher, respectively than those in the full irrigation (I100) treatment (0.28). While the I70 treatment showed manageable water stress with minimal impact, the I35 treatment experienced severe stress, significantly reducing crop growth and yield. The mean seed yield (SY) in the I70 treatment increased to 1245.2 kg ha–1 compared to I35 (903.3 kg ha–1) but remained lower than I100 (1339.3 kg ha–1). The CWSI had negative correlations (p ≤ 0.01) with seed yield, chlorophyll content, and leaf area index, while it had positive correlations with water use efficiency and irrigation water use efficiency (p ≤ 0.01). This study showed that pumpkins could be grown successfully at 30% water deficit conditions, and a water deficit higher than 30% may cause a significant seed yield loss in semi-arid climate conditions. In addition, the results highlight the importance of optimal irrigation and CWSI monitoring for informed irrigation decisions and sustainable agricultural practices. Therefore, moderate water deficit (I70) can be adopted in pumpkin cultivation as an alternative to full irrigation.
Determination of the Effects of Different Irrigation Levels and Vermicompost Doses on Water Consumption and Yield of Greenhouse-Grown Tomato
This study was conducted in pots under a polycarbonate greenhouse to determine the effects of different irrigation levels and vermicompost doses on the morphological and phenological characteristics, water consumption, water use efficiency, and yield parameters of tomato plants. For this purpose, different irrigation levels of 100%, 75%, 50% (I100: full irrigation, I75, I50) and vermicompost (VC) doses of 0, 10% and 20% (VC0, VC10 and VC20, w/w) were applied as the treatments. The study’s results determined the irrigation levels and vermicompost doses affected the tomato plants’ morphological and fruit quality parameters. The highest and lowest plant water consumption (ET) values for the treatments were determined as 47.8 L (I100VC10) and 21.2 L (I50VC0), respectively. Moreover, irrigation water levels and vermicompost doses significantly influenced the total yield of tomatoes. The highest and lowest total and marketable yields were obtained from the I100VC20 and I50VC0 irrigation levels and vermicompost doses. Similarly, the highest and lowest total water use efficiencies were achieved from the I100VC20 (21.9 g L−1) and I50VC0 (11.0 g L−1) treatments. Furthermore, the highest and lowest marketable water use efficiencies were obtained from the I100VC20 (21.9 g L−1) and I50VC0 (7.8 g L−1) treatments. The yield response factor (ky) was found to be 1.42. Although the highest efficiency was achieved from 100% full irrigation and a 20% vermicompost dose in the study, it is suggested that 75% irrigation level and 10% fertilizer doses can also be applied in places where water is limited and fertilizer is expensive. The results revealed that the appropriate irrigation level and vermicompost doses could reliably be used to enhance tomato yield.