The Impact of a Combination of Drip Irrigation And Plastic Mulch on The Growth of Mustard Greens (Brassica Juncea L.) in Dryland

Abstract

Hot temperatures can cause extreme evapotranspiration so plants cannot absorb water optimally. One irrigation technique that can be used on dryland is drip irrigation. The research aimed to determine the impact of a combination of drip irrigation and plastic mulch on the growth of mustard greens. The method used in this research is an experimental method with the parameters observed, namely soil physical properties, discharge, water storage height, emitter uniformity, plant water needs, and plant growth. Based on the research results, the type of soil used in this research is sandy loam with a soil porosity of 48.39, a field capacity of 47.50% and a permanent wilting point of 12.30%. The average discharge in drip irrigation installations is 0.0139 l/sec. The height of the water reservoir is 1 meter. Emitter uniformity is 81.09%. The water requirement for the middle period is 2.8973 liters/day/plant, and the final period is 2.2085 liters/day/plant. The average height of the tallest plants reaches 18.7 cm. The average number of mustard leaves is 13 pieces. Significant leaf changes occurred in the 11th to 15th observations. The average wet weight of mustard plants grown using drip irrigation and combined with plastic mulch was 326.2 grams. The combination of drip irrigation and plastic mulch has a good impact on the growth of mustard greens in dryland because drip irrigation channels water directly to the root zone so that the soil does not dry out. Plastic mulch also helps maintain soil moisture so that evapotranspiration is not so high, even though the research area is dryland.