Abstract
Abstract About 90% of the Texas High Plains area depends on the water supply from the Ogallala aquifer. The decline of the Ogallala water table raises a concern for the sustainability of producing the traditional irrigated field crops due to their high water demand. Thus, diversifying cropping systems may be a solution. However, about 70% of the irrigated cropland uses center pivots that may negatively impact specialty crop quality. Thus, a 3‐year experiment was conducted to assess the potential of using mobile drip irrigation (MDI) to produce fresh watermelon compared to center pivot sprinkler irrigation using low‐elevation spray application (LESA), and surface drip irrigation with plastic mulch (DI). The study evaluated the effects of irrigation systems on crop yield, fruit quality, physiological responses, water use efficiency (WUE), and irrigation use efficiency (IUE). On average, plants under MDI had higher yields (106 Mg ha −1 ) than those under DI (70 Mg ha −1 ) and LESA (68 Mg ha −1 ). Plants under MDI and DI also had more fruits per plant (1.9) than those under LESA (1.4). The higher yield was associated with higher biomass and photosynthetic function. In general, fruit quality was not affected by irrigation system. In addition, plants under MDI system showed a higher WUE and IUE, and less water stress than those under LESA and DI systems. Results of this study suggest that irrigating under an MDI system is a good alternative for growers in the Texas High Plains that aim to diversify their cropping system with high‐value vegetable crops such as watermelon ( Citrullus lanatus ).
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Mobile drip irrigation gave higher watermelon yield than surface drip irrigation
- Taxon
- watermelon
Citrullus lanatust0 - Treatment
- MDIe1
- Outcome
- yieldse1
- Direction
- highere1
- Value
- 106 Mg ha −1e1
- Qualifier
- 70 Mg ha −1e1
- Comparator
- DIe1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Evaluation of three irrigation application systems for watermelon production”
e1“On average, plants under MDI had higher yields (106 Mg ha −1) than those under DI (70 Mg ha −1) and LESA (68 Mg ha −1)”
Claim · model-written summary
Mobile drip irrigation gave higher watermelon yield than low-elevation spray application
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- MDIe1
- Outcome
- yieldse1
- Direction
- highere1
- Value
- 106 Mg ha −1e1
- Qualifier
- 68 Mg ha −1e1
- Comparator
- LESAe1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Evaluation of three irrigation application systems for watermelon production”
e1“On average, plants under MDI had higher yields (106 Mg ha −1) than those under DI (70 Mg ha −1) and LESA (68 Mg ha −1)”
Claim · model-written summary
Mobile drip irrigation and surface drip gave more fruits per watermelon plant than low-elevation spray application
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- MDI and DIe2
- Outcome
- fruits per plante2
- Direction
- moree2
- Value
- 1.9e2
- Comparator
- LESAe2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Evaluation of three irrigation application systems for watermelon production”
e2“Plants under MDI and DI also had more fruits per plant (1.9) than those under LESA (1.4)”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher watermelon yield was associated with higher biomass and photosynthetic function
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Outcome
- biomass and photosynthetic functione3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Evaluation of three irrigation application systems for watermelon production”
e3“The higher yield was associated with higher biomass and photosynthetic function”
Claim · model-written summary
Fruit quality of watermelon was not affected by irrigation system
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- irrigation systeme4
- Outcome
- fruit qualitye4
- Direction
- not affectede4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Evaluation of three irrigation application systems for watermelon production”
e4“fruit quality was not affected by irrigation system”
Claim · model-written summary
Mobile drip irrigation gave a higher watermelon water use efficiency and irrigation use efficiency than low-elevation spray and surface drip
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- MDI systeme5
- Outcome
- WUE and IUEe5
- Direction
- highere5
- Comparator
- LESA and DI systemse6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Evaluation of three irrigation application systems for watermelon production”
e5“plants under MDI system showed a higher WUE and IUE”
e6“than those under LESA and DI systems”
Claim · model-written summary
Mobile drip irrigation gave less watermelon water stress than low-elevation spray and surface drip
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- MDI systeme5
- Outcome
- water stresse7
- Direction
- lesse7
- Comparator
- LESA and DI systemse7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Evaluation of three irrigation application systems for watermelon production”
e5“plants under MDI system showed a higher WUE and IUE”
e7“and less water stress than those under LESA and DI systems”
Claim · model-written summary
Irrigating watermelon under a mobile drip system is a good alternative for growers in the Texas High Plains
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Outcome
- irrigating under an MDI systeme1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Evaluation of three irrigation application systems for watermelon production”
e1“irrigating under an MDI system is a good alternative for growers”
The same questions in other papers
irrigation · physiology: water · Citrullus lanatus (watermelon)Positive and negative results
15 papers in the same direction as this paper · 1 in the opposite direction
- positive
- no effect
- positive
13 papers more in this group
See all 17 papers →irrigation · yield · Citrullus lanatus (watermelon)Positive and negative results
30 papers in the same direction as this paper · 8 in the opposite direction · 1 reporting no difference from an alternative
- positive
- positive
- negative
36 papers more in this group
See all 40 papers →irrigation · quality: grain · Citrullus lanatus (watermelon)Results agree
2 papers in the same direction as this paper
- no effect
- no effect
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.