ROLE OF POTASSIUM SULPHATE AND CHLORIDE IN NPK UPTAKE BY CUCUMBER UNDER PROTECTED CONDITIONS AND DRIP IRRIGATION

Abstract

A Field experiment was conducted during fall season of 2003/2004 under heated plastic house conditions and drip irrigation belongs to AL-Mekdadiya company for agricultural materials south of Baghdad in a silty clay loam texture soil (Typic Torrifluvent), classified as MM4 at the series Level to compare the effect of potassium sulphate 41% K and potassium chloride 50% K fertilizers on dry matter production and uptake of NPK nutrients by cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), Shuaa cv. The (RCBD) was used with three replicates . Results showed that the potassium sulphate fertilizer had significant effect for total dry weight per plant and these effect increased with increasing the levels of both potassium fertilizers and potassium sulphate had the superiority compared with potassium chloride fertilizer for dry weight per plant . The level of 100 kg K . ha-1 had significant effect for all added levels for both potassium fertilizers . The highest effect obtained by the 100 kg K . ha-1 that were 390.73 and 382.70 g dry matter . plant-1 for potassium sulphate and potassium chloride respectively , while the control treatment gave only 300.80 gm per plant . Results showed also , that potassium sulphate fertilizer had significant effect for the uptake of K , N and P nutrients per plant and the effect increased with increasing the levels of both potassium fertilizers but the potassium sulphate fertilizer had the superiority compared with potassium chloride fertilizer . The levels of 100 kg K . ha-1 gave the highest effect of K, N and P uptake per plant , that were 24.03 and 23.45 gm . plant-1 for K – uptake per plant , 13.15 and 12.77 g dry matter . plant-1 for N – uptake and 3.26 and 3.20 g . plant-1 for P – uptake for potassium sulphate and potassium chloride respectively , while they were 12.36 , 7.88 and 2.29 g . plant-1 for the uptake of K , N and P by the control treatment (K0) respectively .