Evidence on shallow groundwater use by edible green vegetables such as Solanum pseudoca psicum, Ocimum basilicum and Lepidium sativum in a semi-arid climate condition

• Groundwater contribution by edible green vegetables is possible.
• The groundwater contributions ranged from 22 to 51% for three green vegetables.
• Groundwater depth increase resulted significant reduction in its contribution.
• Surface irrigation uses can be decrease by increasing plant water requirement from groundwater.
• The highest water use efficiency was found for water table of 0.60 m.

A number of lysimetric experiments were carried out from 2010 to 2011 to determine total water use, shallow groundwater contribution percentage and the effects of different shallow water table levels in the presence of supplementary surface irrigation on water requirements, wet yield production, and water use efficiencies of different edible green vegetables including Solanum pseudoca psicum, Ocimum basilicum and Lepidium sativum. These experiments were performed in a randomized complete block factorial experimental design with three replicates at the Lysimetric Research Station of Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran. Three treatments were applied to each experiment by maintaining groundwater with EC 2 dS m−1 and different water table levels of 0.6, 0.80 and 1.10 m, respectively. Supplementary surface irrigation with quality of 1 dS m−1 was used during the experiments. The average total values of water use, surface water use, surface water saving percentages, groundwater uses and groundwater contribution percentages were found to be as 436 mm, (208, 292, 324 mm equal to 51, 32 and 24%) and (218, 134, 102 mm equal to 49, 34 and 27%) for S. pseudoca psicum; 417 mm (201, 279, 305 mm equal to 52, 34 and 27%) and (206, 129, 102 mm equal to 50, 31 and 25%) for O. basilicum and 415 mm, (197, 299, 315 mm equal to 53, 26 and 25%) and (209, 107 and 91 mm equal to 51, 26 and 22%) for L. sativum, respectively. Generally, the results showed a higher wet weights and water use efficiencies for lower water table depths considering wet weights due to lower and higher surface water and groundwater uses, respectively.