Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Agriculture - Department of Agricultural Engineering

A field experiment was carried out on a sandy soil in Al-Hussein on the Cairo-Alexandria road (latitude 30.3N, 30.8E longitudes, and 77m altitude), during the two successive summer seasons of 2014 and 2015, to evaluate the effect of soil conditioners on cucumber (Cucmis sativus l.) plants under subsurface trickle irrigation. The experiment consists of three treatments of subsurface drip tapes (sub plot), and four treatments of soil conditioners (main plot). The drip tapes treatments were (GR (I1); GR anti-root (I2); and T-tape (I3)), while the soil conditioners treatments were (Compost (S1); Rice straw (S2); Polymer (S3); and soil without conditioners (S4)). The result showed that The maximum height of cucumber plant was 166 cm obtained with GR anti root with compost treatment, while the minimum values was 102 cm under control with GR. The highest cucumber yield was (30.3 t h-1) for compost with GR anti roots treatment and the lowest value was (11.6 t h- 1 ) for control with T-tape treatment, The highest water use efficiency was (8.7 kg m-3) compost with GR anti roots treatment with highest yield and lowest value of irrigation water. But the lowest value of WUE was (3.3 kg m- 3 ) for control with T-tape treatment. Data from this study indicate that cucumber yield can be improved under SSDI if compost is used

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