Yield and nitrogen balance of broccoli at different soil moisture levels

The effect of watering up to approximately 100% of volumetric available soil water on total biomass, nitrogen (N) balance, and market yield of broccoli crops (Brassica oleracea L. convar. botrytis var. italica Plenck, cv. Emperor) was studied. The experiment was carried out in a microplot field installation on two soil types (alluvial loam and loessal loam) under spring and autumn cultivation and consisted of three soil water regimes: plants received 21 mm of water by irrigation until the soil moisture reached 75% of the available soil water (ASW), treatment 1; 42 mm after the soil moisture reached 55% ASW, treatment 2; and 63 mm after the soil moisture reached 35% ASW, treatment 3. The ASW of the three treatments was measured at a depth of 0.15 m. The total plant mass was significantly affected by the irrigation strategy on the loessal loam in spring and on the alluvial loam in autumn. The total mass and head mass were lowest when water was applied at 75% ASW in spring and autumn. Calculations of N-balances showed that N losses were large, i.e. more than 70 kg·ha^–1 in spring and 130 kg·ha^–1 in autumn on the alluvial loam in treatment 1, and were only slightly affected by the irrigation strategy on the loessal loam.Communicated by R. Evans