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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. 3 (2026)

Effect of selected surface drip irrigation methods and applied water depth on soil physical properties and the growth and yield of broccoli

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.14200
Submitted
23 February 2026
Published
29-06-2026 — Updated on 12-08-2026
Versions

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the autumn 2024 season at the First Agricultural Research Station, College of Agriculture, University of Anbar, to evaluate the effects of surface drip irrigation methods and irrigation water depths on soil physical properties and broccoli growth and yield in silt loam soil. Two factors were tested: irrigation method, including partial surface drying (PSD, Ip), surface drip using tapes (Ir) and conventional surface drip (It); and irrigation water depth at three levels (d0.50, d0.60, d0.70). The experiment followed a factorial arrangement in a randomised complete block design (RCBD). Broccoli seedlings (cultivar MAX F1) were transplanted on 28 October 2024 and irrigation scheduling was based on U.S. Class A evaporation pan data. The results indicated that the partial surface drying method (PSD, Ip) yielded the most favourable soil conditions, with lower bulk density, higher total porosity and improved aggregate stability (mean weight diameter, MWD). The Ipd0.50 treatment achieved the lowest bulk density (1.40 Mg m-3), highest porosity (47.16 %) and greatest MWD (0.20 mm), whereas Itd0.70 recorded the highest bulk density (1.51 Mg m-3), lowest porosity (43.01 %) and smallest MWD (0.10 mm). Plant growth and yield followed similar trends; Ip improved leaf area, plant height and total yield, particularly at d0.50. Ipd0.50 attained the highest leaf area (408.76 dm² plant-1), plant height (75.23 cm) and total yield (30.47 t ha-1), while Itd0.70 yielded the lowest values (104.15 dm² plant-1, 57.95 cm and 14.57 t ha-1, respectively). These findings suggest that partial surface drying (PSD) at 50 % water depth effectively improves both soil physical properties and broccoli productivity and can be recommended as a water-efficient irrigation strategy under similar agro-climatic conditions.

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