Abstract
The aim of the study examines the effects of contrasting greenhouse microclimates on nutrient uptake, dry matter yield (DMY), and water use efficiency (WUE) in maize (
Zea mays L.) during the early vegetative stage, under limited irrigation conditions. The study addresses the question of how microclimatic factors, particularly airflow and the humidity of the greenhouse, affect plant growth and nutrient dynamics under deficit irrigation conditions. The experiment was established at the Research and Application Greenhouses of the Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Çukurova University, Adana, Türkiye. Two greenhouse environments were compared: first with a whitewashed glass surface and active ventilation, and second with a transparent glass surface without ventilation. Three irrigation levels were applied based on available water capacity: 50%, 75%, and 100%, with three replications. Maize P2105 was used in the experiment, and plants were harvested following 40 days of deficit irrigation management. Research findings show that a microclimate greenhouse plays a critical role in maize growth and WUE under limited irrigation. In the ventilated and lime-whitewashed greenhouse, total dry matter yield reached 18.08 g pot
−1, and water use efficiency peaked at 4.76 g mm
−1 under 75% irrigation, approximately three times higher than values observed in the non-ventilated greenhouse. Additionally, nitrogen and phosphorus uptake was significantly enhanced, reaching 277.87 mg pot
−1 and 20.85 mg pot
−1, respectively. The optimized microclimate also significantly promoted the accumulation of other macro and micronutrients; the highest potassium (1239.56 mg pot
−1) and magnesium (235.61 mg pot
−1) uptakes were recorded under ventilated conditions, while shoot Mn concentration significantly increased to 37.71 mg kg
−1 compared to the unventilated control. These results suggest that optimized airflow and humidity conditions substantially improve physiological efficiency and nutrient acquisition under water-limited environments. Microclimate engineering is therefore recommended as a sustainable strategy to mitigate drought stress in greenhouse-based crop production.
Keywords
Microclimate; water use efficiency; maize; nutrient dynamics and deficit irrigation
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