Response of green bean (P. vulgaris L.) to subsurface drip irrigation and partial rootzone-drying irrigation

Effects on water use, green bean yield, irrigation water-use efficiency (IWUE), water-use efficiency (WUE), plant dry weight and crop water relationship were investigated for two-drip irrigation techniques and four irrigation water levels in the Mediterranean region of Turkey. The treatments were conventional (SDI) and alternating subsurface drip irrigation (SPRD). At each irrigation event, half of the volume of water applied to the SDI was applied to one side of the crop, representing the partial rootzone-drying treatment. All treatments received 295 mm of irrigation during crop establishment, prior to beginning the different irrigation regimes. Differing irrigation amounts corresponded to four crop-pan coefficients (Kcp1 = 0.6, Kcp2 = 0.8, Kcp3 = 1.0 and Kcp4 = 1.2), appropriate to pan data. Total water applied to the SDI and SPRD treatments ranged from 366 to 437 mm and from 331 to 366 mm, respectively, depending on Kcp values, with water uptake varying from 396 to 470 mm and 364 to 409 mm, respectively. While differences of green bean yield and dry plant weights were not significantly affected by the SDI and SPRD irrigation techniques, the overall irrigation water saving was found to be 16% for the SPRD irrigation treatment compared with the SDI treatment. SPRD irrigation techniques increased IWUE, WUE, and slopes of yield water relationships. Increase in slopes of the yield–irrigation water and yield–water-use function of SPRD according to the equivalent slopes of the SDI were 215.8 and 151.4%, respectively. SPRD increased the green bean yield response factor (ky) with value of 128.4% according to the equivalent slopes of the SDI. In conclusion, irrigation scheduling based on a 0.8 crop-pan coefficient is recommended for conventional SDI, with 1.0 being more appropriate for partial rootzone-drying practice.