Growth and yield of cauliflower under surface and subsurface drip irrigation with primarily treated municipal wastewater in a semi-arid peri-urban area

Abstract

This study reports the effect of surface and subsurface drip irrigation with municipal wastewater and groundwater on growth and yield of cauliflower. Eight treatments were evaluated: surface drip (T1), subsurface drip (non-pressure compensating) (T2), bioline subsurface drip (T3) and bioline (pressure-compensating) surface drip (T4) using groundwater, and the same drip systems using primarily treated municipal wastewater (i.e. T5-T8). Results showed maximum leaf area index and root length density (5.64 and 5.25 cm/cm3 respectively) of cauliflower in subsurface drip system having pressure-compensating lateral applying wastewater and minimum (4.48 and 4.05 cm/ cm3 respectively) in surface drip system having inline lateral applying groundwater. The highest curd yield (79.67 tonne/ha) was found with subsurface pressure compensating drip with wastewater application, whereas lowest (59.01 tonne/ha) was recorded in case of inline surface drip with groundwater. The cauli-flower curd yield increased by 7.58% and 8.49% under surface and subsurface pressure-compensating drip laterals with wastewater application, with a saving of 30.1% nitrogen, 14.14% phosphorus and 33.7% potassium, compared to groundwater-irrigated treat-ments.