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A novel low-tech lined bed cultivation enhances drought stress tolerance of cucumber in semi-arid conditions

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Abstract

Water scarcity and nutrient leaching limit cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) production in semi-arid sandy soils. This study evaluated a low-tech lined trench-bed system, incorporating polyethylene liners to reduce deep percolation and nutrient loss, under protected cultivation in Nubaria, Egypt (summer season). The study compared two cultivation systems (lined vs. non-lined beds) under two irrigation regimes (100% and 50% ETc; crop evapotranspiration). Lined beds significantly enhanced shoot and root biomass, vine height, leaf number, and leaf area under deficit irrigation, with values comparable to full irrigation, while non-lined beds showed sharp reductions. Foliar N, P, K, Ca, and Mg in lined beds at 50% ETc were statistically similar to 100% ETc, contrasting with 35–55% declines in non-lined beds. Physiologically, lined beds maintained chlorophyll content and leaf relative water content, while minimizing proline and malondialdehyde accumulation, indicating improved osmotic adjustment and membrane stability. Yield was sustained in lined beds under deficit irrigation (26.56 kg m⁻²; 14.4% reduction from 100% ETc) compared to sharp declines in non-lined beds (11.31 kg m⁻²; 63.6% reduction). The highest water use efficiency WUE (98.37 kg m⁻³) occurred in lined beds at 50% ETc, over double the equivalent non-lined treatment. The lined trench-bed effectively preserves growth, nutrient status, physiological integrity, and yield under drought, offering a scalable solution for water-limited horticulture.

Data availability

The data presented in this study are available upon request from the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge King Salman International University (KSIU) for providing access to laboratory facilities and supporting the chemical analyses conducted in this study. Special thanks are extended to Agricultural Engineer Tarek Aboushara for his invaluable assistance in greenhouse management, irrigation scheduling, and continuous monitoring of the experiment.

Funding

Open access funding provided by The Science, Technology & Innovation Funding Authority (STDF) in cooperation with The Egyptian Knowledge Bank (EKB).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Damanhour University, Damanhour, 22516, Egypt

    Ibrahim A. Abouelsaad

  2. Faculty of Desert Agriculture, King Salman International University, Ras Sedr, 46618, Egypt

    Ibrahim A. Abouelsaad

Authors

  1. Ibrahim A. Abouelsaad
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Contributions

Ibrahim A. Abouelsaad conceived and designed the study; developed the methodology; performed the experiments and investigation; collected, curated, and analyzed the data; conducted the statistical analyses; developed and applied the software tools; validated the results; prepared figures and visualizations; wrote the original draft; and reviewed and edited the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to
Ibrahim A. Abouelsaad.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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The article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by the author.

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Abouelsaad, I.A. A novel low-tech lined bed cultivation enhances drought stress tolerance of cucumber in semi-arid conditions.
Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-37245-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-37245-z

Keywords

  • Water retention
  • Drought stress
  • Cucumber
  • Physiological stress
  • Water use efficiency

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