investigate the interaction effect of irrigation levels and soil textures on yield, yield components, and water productivity of Garden cress (Lepidium sativum L.)

Irrigation water scarcity is one of the major limiting factors in agricultural production. This study was conducted to investigate the interaction effect of soil textures and irrigation levels on yield, yield components, and water productivity of Garden cress (Lepidium sativum L.) in the experimental research greenhouse at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, during 2018. In this study we used a factorial experiment based on the completely randomized design with 3 replications. Treatments consisted of 3 levels of irrigation (0.33 FC, 0.66 FC, and FC) and 3 soil textures (silty clay, clay loam, and sandy loam). The result showed that decrease of the water irrigation consumption by 34 and 67% resulted in reduction of leaf numbers by 12 and 13.2%, leaf length (8.2 and 8.5%), leaf width (11.1 and 25%), and shoot dry weights (7.4 and 16.8%). The results showed that the highest of plant height, shoot fresh weights, and yield of garden cress by 16.9 cm, 10 g, and 565.9 g.m-2 were observed in FC+silty clay treatments. The highest of water productivity was observed in 0.33 FC+ silty clay (by 1.15 Kg.m-3). Also, garden cress is sensitive plant under drought stress conditions and the best texture for this plant is silty clay texture.