Evapotranspiration, Yield Components, and Some Quality Attributes of Subsurface Drip Irrigated Broccoli under Three Soil-water Depletion Levels

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This experiment aimed to determine evapotranspiration, and responses of some yield and quality parameters of subsurface drip irrigated broccoli (Brassica oleraceae L.). Treatments included water application when available soil moistures were depleted 30, 40, and 50% during both spring and autumn cultivations. Under a semi-arid climatic condition of Tokat, Turkey, the experiment was carried out with a randomized complete block design in clay and clay loam soils during, respectively, 2011 and 2012. The mean measured soil-water depletion levels of 39, 49, and 59% (irrigation treatments) yielded statistically significant results among the seasonal actual evapotranspirations with a range from 210 to 294 mm. The determined crop coefficients (Kc) during the initial growth stage of broccoli for the autumn cultivations did not follow those of standard recommendations. Furthermore, we could not find any statistically significant difference in the yield and quality components among the irrigation treatments, but among the cultivation seasons.