This study examines deficit irrigation on greenhouse grown cucumber in the North China Plain
(NCP). The level of fulfillment of water requirements was used as a gauge to differentiate five border
irrigation treatments. Fresh fruit yields were highly influenced by the total volume of irrigation water
at every growth stage. The treatment with minimum irrigation water applied had the lowest
productions. The mathematical functions that better fit for the production obtained with the water
volume received were linearism, but the functions of evapotranspiration (ET) and yield were seconddegree polynomials. The water use efficiency (WUE) and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE)
decreased with the increase of irrigation water applied from stem fruiting to the end, significantly
since harvest of zenith fruits. But WUE and IWUE were ascending with the increase of irrigation
water from cucumber field setting to first fruit ripening. Well irrigation along the whole cycle was a
clearly advisable irrigation regime. On the other hand, the least advisable regimes were those that
lead to deficiencies from harvest of the first fruit to the zenith fruits. But we strongly recommend
actions be taken to limit the inefficient soil evaporation that resulted from higher temperature at the
last growth stages in order to improve WUE and IWUE.
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