Response of plum trees to deficit irrigation under two crop levels: tree growth, yield and fruit quality

The effects of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) and crop load on Japanese plum were investigated. RDI applied during phase II of fruit growth and post-harvest was compared with irrigation to match full crop evapotranspiration. Each irrigation treatment was thinned to a commercial crop load (described as medium) and to approximately 40% less than the commercial practice (described as low). The RDI strategy allowed for 30% water savings, increasing tree water use efficiency, with minimal effect on crop yield and fruit growth providing that plant water stress during the fruit growth period was low (stem water potential > −1.5 MPa), trees could recover optimum water status well before harvest, and crop load was low. However, the economic return, calculated from fruit weight distribution by commercial categories, was more affected by RDI than yield. The combination of medium crop load and RDI shifted fruit mass distribution towards the low value categories. This lead to similar or even higher economic returns in the RDI treatment with low crop level than with the medium one. In addition, since both, low crop level and RDI, increased fruit total soluble solids (TSS) concentration, fruit under RDI and low crop levels had the highest values of TSS.     

Effect of irrigation and nitrogen application methods on input use efficiency of wheat under limited water supply in a Vertisol of Central India

Field experiments were conducted in a deep Vertisol at the Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal during the years 2001–2005 to assess the effect of five different irrigation strategies through combinations of sprinkler and flood irrigation and two N application methods on yield and water use efficiency of wheat (cv WH 147). The amount of irrigation applied each year differed according to the availability of water in the water harvesting pond to simulate the actual water crisis faced by the farmers in this region during these years due to monsoon failure. Results indicated that when wheat was grown only with 8-cm irrigation at sowing or 14 cm up to the crown root initiation stage, dry sowing of wheat immediately followed by sprinkler and subsequent irrigation through flooding produced the highest yield and water and nitrogen use efficiencies. However, when 20-cm irrigation was supplied up to the flowering stage or 14-cm irrigation was supplied up to tillering stage through sprinkler in 4 and 3 splits, respectively, at critical growth stages, maximized the grain yield and water and nitrogen use efficiencies. Across the years, the crop yield and water and nitrogen use efficiencies increased with increase in water supply.     

Yield and quality of melon grown under different irrigation and nitrogen rates

During 2 years, a melon crop (Cucumis melo L. cv. Sancho) was grown under field conditions to investigate the effects of different nitrogen (N) and irrigation (I) levels on fruit yield, fruit quality, irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) and nitrogen applied efficiency (NAE). The statistical design was a split-plot with four replications, where irrigation was the main factor of variation and N was the secondary factor. In 2005, irrigation treatments consisted of applying daily a moderate water stress equivalent to 75% of ETc (crop evapotranspiration), a 100% ETc control and an excess irrigation of 125% ETc (designated as I₇₅, I₁₀₀ and I₁₂₅), while the N treatments were 30, 85, 112 and 139 kg N ha⁻¹ (designated as N₃₀, N₈₅, N₁₁₂ and N₁₃₉). In 2006, both the irrigation and N treatments applied were: 60, 100 and 140% ETc (I₆₀, I₁₀₀ and I₁₄₀) and 93, 243 and 393 kg N ha⁻¹ (N₉₃, N₂₄₃ and N₃₉₃). Moderate water stress did not reduce melon yield and high IWUE was obtained. Under severe deficit irrigation, the yield was reduced by 22% mainly due to decrease fruit weight. The relative yield (yield/maximum yield) was higher than 95% when the irrigation depth applied was in the range of 87-136% ETc. In 2006, the interaction between irrigation and N was significant for yield, fruit weight and IWUE. The best yield, 41.3 Mg ha⁻¹, was obtained with 100% ETc at N₉₃. The flesh firmness and the placenta and seeds weight increased when the irrigation level was reduced by 60% ETc. The highest NAE was obtained with quantities of water close to 100% ETc and increased as the N level was reduced. The highest IWUE was obtained with applications close to 90 kg N ha⁻¹. The I₂₄₃ and I₃₉₃ treatments produced inferior fruits due to higher skin ratios and lower flesh ratios. These results suggest that it is possible to apply moderate deficit irrigation, around 90% ETc, and reduce nitrogen input to 90 kg ha⁻¹ without lessening quality and yields.     

Effects of different irrigation regimes applied during the final stage of rapid growth on an early maturing peach cultivar

Different irrigation regimes were performed on container-grown early-season peach trees (cv. Alexandra) during stage III of fruit growth. In the first experiment, three water treatments were applied: T1, control irrigation; T2, light water restriction; T3, high water restriction. In the second experiment, T4, a light water restriction, was compared to T5, the same total amount of water as T4 but with alternating periods of water withholding and subsequent re-irrigation. Compared to T1 and T2, leaf photosynthesis was limited under T3. Fruit yield and quality did not differ between T1 and T2, while fruit yield, average weight and percentage in the higher commercial grade decreased and total soluble solids (TSS) increased under T3, compared to T1 and T2. Comparing T5 to T4, yield, fruit firmness and average weight did not vary, but heterogeneousness of fruit diameter and TSS at the lower fruit grade tended to be higher. Peach sensitivity to brown rot was likely to decrease under T3 compared to T1 and T2. Peach water loss and brown rot incidence after contamination in conidial suspensions were enhanced under T5 compared to T4, implying that re-irrigation after water withholding should be avoided in order to limit brown rot incidence.     

Response of cotton to various levels of nitrogen and water applied to normal and paired sown cotton under drip irrigation in relation to check-basin

Field experiments were conducted for 2 years to investigate the effects of various levels of nitrogen (N) and methods of cotton planting on yield, agronomic efficiency of N (AEN) and water use efficiency (WUE) in cotton irrigated through surface drip irrigation at Bathinda situated in semi-arid region of northwest India. Three levels of N (100, 75 and 50% of recommended N, 75 kg ha⁻¹) were tested under drip irrigation in comparison to 75 kg of N ha⁻¹ in check-basin. The three methods of planting tried were; normal sowing of cotton with row to row spacing of 67.5 cm (NS), normal paired row sowing with row to row spacing of 35 and 100 cm alternately (NP) and dense paired row sowing with row to row spacing of 35 and 55 cm alternately resulting in total number rows and plants to be 1.5 times (DP) than NS and NP. In NS there was one lateral along each row, but in paired sowings there was one lateral between each pair of rows. Consequently the number of laterals and quantity of water applied was 50 and 75% in NP and DP, respectively, as compared with NS in which irrigation water applied was equivalent to check-basin.Drip irrigation under NS resulted in an increase of 258 and 453 kg ha⁻¹ seed cotton yield than check-basin during first and second year, respectively, when same quantity of water and N was applied. Drip irrigation under dense paired sowing (DP) in which the quantity of irrigation water applied was 75% as compared with NS, further increased the yield by 84 and 101 kg ha⁻¹ than NS during first and second year, respectively. Drip irrigation under NP, in which the quantity of water applied and number of laterals used were 50% as compared with drip under NS, resulted in a reduction in seed cotton yield of 257 and 112 kg ha⁻¹ than NS during first and second year, respectively. However, the yield obtained in NP under drip irrigation was equivalent to yield obtained in NS under check-basin during first year but 341 kg ha⁻¹ higher yield was obtained during second year. The decrease in N applied, irrespective of methods of planting, caused a significant decline in seed cotton yield during both the years. Water use efficiency (WUE) under drip irrigation increased from 1.648 to 1.847 and from 0.983 to 1.615 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ during first and second year, respectively, when the same quantity of N and water was applied. The WUE further increased to 2.125 and 1.788 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ under DP during first and second year, respectively. The agronomic efficiency of nitrogen was higher in drip than check-basin during both the years when equal N was applied. The WUE decreased with decrease in the rate of N applied under fertigation but reverse was true for AEN. It is evident that DP under drip irrigation resulted in higher seed cotton yield, WUE and AEN than NS and also saved 25% irrigation water as well as cost of laterals.     

Yield and water use of eggplants (Solanum melongena L.) under full and deficit irrigation regimes

Field experiments were conducted in 2008 and 2009 to determine the effects of deficit irrigation on yield and water use of field grown eggplants. A total of 8 irrigation treatments (four each year), which received different amounts of irrigation water, were evaluated. In 2008, deficit irrigation was applied at full vegetative growth (WS-V), pre-flowering (WS-F) and fruit ripening (WS-R), while in 2009 deficit irrigation was applied during the whole growing season at 80 (WS-80), 60 (WS-60) and 40% (WS-40) of field capacity. Deficit-irrigated treatments were in both years compared to a well irrigated control. Regular readings of soil water content (SWC) in 2008 and 2009 showed that average soil water deficit (SWD) in the control was around 30% of total available water (TAW) while in deficit-irrigated treatments it varied between 50 and 75% of TAW. In 2008, deficit irrigation reduced fruit fresh yield by 35, 25 and 33% in WS-V, WS-F and WS-R treatments, respectively, when compared to the control (33.0 t ha⁻¹). However, the reduction in fresh yield in response to deficit irrigation was compensated by an increase in fruit mean weight. Results obtained in 2009 showed that fruit fresh yield in the control was 33.7 t ha⁻¹, while it was 12, 39 and 60% less in WS-80, WS-60 and WS-40 treatments, respectively. On the other hand, fruit dry matter content and water productivity were found to increase significantly in both years in deficit-irrigated treatments. Applying deficit irrigation for 2 weeks prior to flowering (WS-F) resulted in water saving of the same magnitude of the WS-80 treatment, with the least yield reduction, making more water available to irrigate other crops, and thereby considered optimal strategies for drip-irrigated eggplants in the semi-arid climate of the central Bekaa Valley of Lebanon.     

Effects of water and nitrogen conditions under surge-root irrigation on growth and yield of apple trees

In order to explore the effects of different irrigation and nitrogen application on growth cha-racteristics and yield of apple trees under surge-root irrigation in mountainous areas of northern Shaanxi, field experiments were carried out with different apple trees. Three irrigation levels were applied: 85%-100%(H1), 70%-85%(H2)and 55%-70%(H3)of the field water capacity, respectively, and three nitrogen levels were N1(360 g/plant), N2(240 g/plant)and N3(120 g/plant). The results show that irrigation and nitrogen application has significant effects on new shoot length, flowering, fruit-setting, fruit diameter, fruit volume and yield of apple. The leaf area index(LAI)shows a singlet trend during the growth period, and the peak value appears in the middle of July. Under the same irrigation level, compared with N3, N1 increases in yield, new shoot length, LAI, transverse diameter, longitudinal diameter, volume, flowering and fruit setting by 17.91%, 28.31%, 18.75%, 11.38%, 10.13%, 36.60%, 20.92% and 5.19%, respectively, while N2 also increases by 12.40%, 15.63%, 4.86%, 5.40%, 5.11%, 17.01%, 26.17% and 13.74%, respectively. The rate of flowering and fruit setting decreases with the increase of nitrogen application. Under the same nitrogen level, compared with H3, H1 increases in yield, new shoot length, LAI, transverse diameter, longitudinal diameter, volume, flowering and fruit setting by 34.65%, 15.49%, 30.77%, 3.93%, 4.95%, 12.86%, 33.15% and 28.62%, respectively, while H2 also increases by 33.67%, 16.42%, 67.52%, 3.81%, 2.97%, 11.57%, 43.45%, and 27.26%, respectively. The rate of flowering and fruit setting decreases first and then increases with the increase of irrigation amount. Compared with H3N3, the yield of other treatments increases by 2.69%-52.20%, While H2N1 treatment has the highest yield(26 852.55 kg/ha). Considering from the point of view of promoting growth and increasing yield, the best water and nitrogen combination mode of mountain apple in northern Shaanxi is medium water deficit irrigation and high nitrogen(H2N1)treatment. The results from this study can provide a theoretical basis for apple water and nitrogen management in mountainous areas of northern Shaanxi.     

Using midday stem water potential for scheduling deficit irrigation in mid–late maturing peach trees under Mediterranean conditions

Irrigation techniques that reduce water applications are increasingly applied in areas with scarce water resources. In this study, the effect of two regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies on peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch cv. “Catherine”] performance was studied over three growing seasons. The experimental site was located in Murcia (SE Spain), a Mediterranean region. Two RDI strategies (restricting water applications at stage II of fruit development and postharvest) based on stem water potential (Ψ_s) thresholds (?1.5 and ?1.8 MPa during fruit growth and ?1.5 and ?2.0 MPa during postharvest) were compared to a fully irrigated control. Soil water content (θ_v), Ψ_s, gas exchange parameters, vegetative growth, crop load, yield and fruit quality were determined. RDI treatments showed significantly lower values of θ_v and Ψ_s than control trees when irrigation water was restricted, causing reductions in stomatal conductance and photosynthesis rates. Vegetative growth was reduced by RDI, as lower shoot lengths and pruning weights were observed under those treatments when compared to control. However, fruit size and yield were unaffected, and fruit quality was slightly improved by RDI. Water savings from 43 to 65 % were achieved depending on the year and the RDI strategy, and no negative carryover effect was detected during the study period. In conclusion, RDI strategies using Ψ_s thresholds for scheduling irrigation in mid–late maturing peach trees under Mediterranean conditions are viable options to save water without compromising yield and even improving fruit quality.     

Cotton yield and water use efficiency at various levels of water and N through drip irrigation under two methods of planting

The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the effect of various levels of water and N application through drip irrigation on seed cotton yield and water use efficiency (WUE). In this experiment three levels of water (Epan 0.4, 0.3, and 0.2) and three levels of N (100, 75, and 50% of recommended N, 75 kg/ha) through drip were compared with check-basin method of irrigation under two methods of planting (normal sowing, NS; paired sowing, PS). The results revealed that when the same quantity of irrigation water and N was applied through drip irrigation system, it increased the seed cotton yield to 2144 from 1624 kg/ha (an increase of 32%) under check-basin method of irrigation. When the quantity of water through drip was reduced to 75%, the increase in seed cotton yield was 12%; however, when water was reduced to 50%, it resulted 2% lower yield than check-basin. The decrease in N through fertigation resulted in reduction in seed cotton yield at all the levels of water supply, but the magnitude of reduction was the highest at highest level of water supply. In paired sowing (PS), 20% higher seed cotton yield was obtained as compared with check-basin method under NS along with 50% saving of water. In paired sowing the sacrifice of 9% seed cotton yield as compared with NS resulted in saving of 50% water as well as the cost of laterals because there was one lateral for two paired rows. The WUE increased by 26% (22.1 from 17.6 kg/ha cm) in drip irrigation system when same quantity of water and N fertilizer was applied as compared with check-basin. WUE was not affected with quantity of water but decrease in rate of N caused a decrease in WUE at all the quantities of water applied. In general, WUE was higher in PS as compared with NS. The agronomic efficiency of nitrogen increased from 21.65 to 28.59 kg of seed cotton per kg of N applied when same quantity of water and N was applied through drip irrigation as compared with check-basin. However, decrease in quantity of water applied resulted in a decrease in agronomic efficiency of N but reverse was true for rates of N applied. When the same quantity of water and N was applied under both the methods of planting, PS produced 22% higher seed cotton yield and along with reduced cost owing to half the number of laterals required.     

Effects of soil water deficit on yield and quality of processing tomato under a Mediterranean climate

In order to assess the effect of soil water deficit (SWD) during fruit development and ripening, on yield and quality of processing tomato under deficit irrigation in the Mediterranean climate, an open-field experiment was carried out in two sites differing from soil and climatic characteristics, in Sicily, South Italy. Six irrigation treatments were studied: no irrigation following plant establishment (NI); 100% (F = full) or 50% (D = deficit) ET_c restoration with long-season irrigation (L) or short-season irrigation up to 1st fruit set (S); and long-season irrigation with 100% ET_c restoration up to beginning of flowering, then 50% ET_c restoration (LFD). The greatest effect of increasing SWD was the rise in fruit firmness, total solids and soluble solids (SS). A negative trend in response to increasing SWD was observed for fruit yield and size. Tough yield and SS were negatively correlated, the final SS yield under the LD regime was close to that of LF, and 47% water was saved. However, SS seems to be more environmental sensitive than SWD, since it varied more between sites than within site. The variations between sites in fruit quality response to deficit irrigation demonstrate that not only SWD but also soil and climatic characteristics influence the quality traits of the crop.     

Postharvest regulated deficit irrigation in ‘Summit’ sweet cherry: fruit yield and quality in the following season

We examined, over the postharvest seasons of 2005–2007, regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) for its potential of saving water and maintaining fruit yield and quality in ‘Summit’ sweet cherry. The postharvest irrigation treatments were: full irrigation (Control), receiving 80% of water in Control (RDI-80%), and receiving 50% of water in Control (RDI-50%). Midday stem water potential (Ψ_stem) was used for assessing plant water status. In 2006, trees produced a large crop and commercial fruit thinning had to be applied, whereas 2007 was a low crop year. The RDI treatment, first applied in 2005, reduced fruit set in 2006 and also reduced root winter starch concentration. In 2006, fruit set was lower in RDI-50% than in Control. But fruit thinning had still to be done with the final yield being the same among treatments. In 2007, RDI-50% produced more fruit and higher yields than Control. Relationship between postharvest Ψ_stem and crop load in the following season varied according to the year. They were negatively correlated in 2006 and positively correlated in 2007. Fruit firmness did not vary with irrigation treatments in any of the years. Fruit soluble solid concentration (SSC) and fruit relative dry matter (RDM) for RDI-50% was the highest in 2006 when RDI-50% trees had the lowest fruit set. In 2007, SSC and RDM for RDI-50% were the lowest with the trees having the highest fruit set and crop load at harvest. This study indicates that RDI-50% firstly applied in an “off” year, after crop has been harvested, can maintain fruit yield at similar levels to fully irrigated trees while saving water by 45%. Correction of biennial bearing and partial saving of thinning costs are additional advantages of this treatment.     

负压供水下水氮耦合对温室辣椒品质及产量的影响

采用负水头供水控水盆栽装置,通过设定装置的不同供水吸力控制不同的土壤含水率,研究了负压灌溉条件下不同水氮组合对温室大棚中辣椒产量及品质的影响。试验设置3种供水吸力:5 k Pa(W2)、10 k Pa(W3)、15 k Pa(W4),并以常规补充浇灌方式(记为W1)为对照;3种氮肥水平:168、336和504 kg/hm2,分别记为N1、N2和N3。结果表明,在灌水量相同的条件下,辣椒中Vc的质量分数随施氮量的增加表现出先增加后减少的趋势,而辣椒果实中的可溶性糖和蛋白质的质量分数则随施氮量的增加而增加。辣椒的株高、茎粗、叶片数和产量也是随施氮量的增加而增加;在施氮量相同的条件下,辣椒中Vc、可溶性糖和可溶性蛋白质的质量分数都随灌水量的增加而增加,辣椒的株高、茎粗、叶片数和产量也随灌水量的增加而增加;W2N2处理辣椒Vc和可溶性糖的质量分数最高,W2N3处理辣椒蛋白质的量最高,W2N3处理辣椒的产量最高。     

Effect of stage-specific saline irrigation on greenhouse tomato production

In many water scarce areas, saline water has been included as an important substitutable resource in agricultural irrigation. It would be of practical use to investigate the effect of stage-specific saline irrigation on yield, fruit quality, and other growth responses of greenhouse tomato, to establish a proper irrigation management strategy for tomato production in these regions. Here, saline irrigations (3.33, 8.33, and 16.67 dS m⁻¹ NaCl solution) were applied during four growth stages of greenhouse tomato (L. esculentum Mill. cv. Zhongza No. 9) grown in the North China Plain, respectively. These include flowering and fruit-bearing stage (stage 1), first cluster fruit expanding stage (stage 2), second cluster fruit expanding stage (stage 3), and harvesting stage (stage 4). Compared with the following three stages, yield loss was most remarkable in stage 1 under all three salinity levels. Under irrigation practices using 3.33 dS m⁻¹ saline water in all four stages, 8.33 dS m⁻¹ saline water in latter three stages, and 16.67 dS m⁻¹ saline water in stage 4, yield reduction was not significant while fruit quality was improved. In conclusion, it is feasible to use stage-specific saline irrigation for tomato production in water scarce areas like North China Plain.     

Quantifying reductions in consumptive water use under regulated deficit irrigation in pistachio (Pistacia vera L.)

The reduction in agricultural water use in areas of scarce supplies can release significant amounts of water for other uses. As improvements in irrigation systems and management have been widely adopted by fruit tree growers already, there is a need to explore the potential for reducing irrigation requirements via deficit irrigation (DI). It is also important to quantify to what extent the reduction in applied water through DI is translated into net water savings via tree evapotranspiration (ET) reduction. An experiment was conducted in a commercial pistachio orchard in Madera, CA, where a regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) program was applied to a 32.3-ha block, while another block of the same size was fully irrigated (FI). Four trees were instrumented with six neutron probe access tubes each, in the two treatments and the soil water balance method was used to determine tree ET. Seasonal irrigation water in FI, applied through a full-coverage microsprinkler system, amounted to 842 mm, while only 669 mm were applied in RDI. Seasonal ET in FI was 1024 mm, of which 308 mm were computed as evaporation from soil (E_s). In RDI, seasonal ET was reduced to 784 mm with 288 mm as Es. The reduction in applied water during the deficit period amounted to 147 mm. The ET of RDI during the deficit period was also reduced relative to that of FI by 133 mm, which represented 33% of the ET of FI during the deficit irrigation period. There was an additional ET reduction in RDI of about 100 mm that occurred in the post-deficit period.     

Plant growth and yield responses in olive (Olea europaea) to different irrigation levels in an arid region of Argentina

Over the last two decades, a significant increase in intensively managed olive orchards has occurred in the northwest of Argentina where climatic conditions differ greatly from the Mediterranean Basin. Annual amounts of applied irrigation are generally high due to low rainfall, access to deep ground water, and little information about water use by the crop in the region. The objectives of this study were to: (1) assess the responses of plant growth, yield components, and several physiological parameters to five different irrigation levels and (2) determine an optimum crop coefficient (Kc) for the entire growing season considering both fruit yield and vegetative growth. Five irrigation treatments (Kc = 0.50, 0.70, 0.85, 1.0, 1.15) were employed from late winter to the fall over 2 years in a 6-year-old cv. ‘Manzanilla fina’ olive orchard. Tree canopy volume was approximately 15 m³ with a leaf area of about 40 m² at the beginning of the experiment. During much of each year, the volumetric soil water content was lower in the Kc = 0.50 treatment than in the other irrigation levels evaluated (Kc = 0.85 and 1.15). Although differences in midday stem water potential (Ψ_s) were not always apparent between treatments during the first year, there were lower Ψ_s values in Kc = 0.50 and 0.70 relative to the higher irrigation levels during the second year. Shoot elongation in Kc = 0.50 was about 50% of that in Kc = 1.0 and 1.15 during both years leading to significant differences in the increase of tree canopy volume by the end of the first year. Fruit yield was similar among irrigation levels the first year, but yield reached a maximum value the second year between Kc = 0.70 and 0.85 above which no increase was apparent. The somewhat lower fruit yield values in Kc = 0.50 and 0.70 were associated with decreased fruit number rather than reductions in individual fruit weight. The water productivity on a yield basis (fruit yield per mm of applied irrigation) decreased as irrigation increased in the second year, while similar calculations based on trunk cross-sectional area growth indicated that vegetative growth was proportional to the amount of irrigation. This suggests that the warm climate of northwest Argentina (28° S) can induce excessive vegetative growth when very high irrigation levels are applied. A Kc value of approximately 0.70 over the course of the growing season should be sufficient to maintain both fruit yield and vegetative growth at adequate levels. An evaluation of regulated deficit irrigation strategies for table olives in this region could be beneficial to further reduce irrigation.     

Evaluation on the irrigation and fertilization management practices under the application of treated sewage water in Beijing, China

Irrigation and fertilization management practices play important roles in crop production. In this paper, the Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM) was used to evaluate the irrigation and fertilization management practices for a winter wheat–summer corn double cropping system in Beijing, China under the irrigation with treated sewage water (TSW). A carefully designed experiment was carried out at an experimental station in Beijing area from 2001 to 2003 with four irrigation treatments. The hydrologic, nitrogen and crop growth components of RZWQM were calibrated by using the dataset of one treatment. The datasets of other three treatments were used to validate the model performance. Most predicted soil water contents were within ±1 standard deviation (S.D.) of the measured data. The relative errors (RE) of grain yield predictions were within the range of −26.8% to 18.5%, whereas the REs of biomass predictions were between −38% and 14%. The grain nitrogen (N) uptake and biomass N uptake were predicted with the RE values ranging from −13.9% to 14.7%, and from −11.1% to 29.8%, respectively. These results showed that the model was able to simulate the double cropping system variables under different irrigation and fertilization conditions with reasonable accuracy. Application of RZWQM in the growing season of 2001–2002 indicated that the best irrigation management practice was no irrigation for summer corn, three 83 mm irrigations each for pre-sowing, jointing and heading stages of winter wheat, respectively. And the best nitrogen application management practice was 120 kg N ha⁻¹ for summer corn and 110 kg N ha⁻¹ for winter wheat, respectively, under the irrigation with TSW. We also obtained the alternative irrigation management practices for the hydrologic years of 75%, 50% and 25%, respectively, in Beijing area under the conditions of irrigation with TSW and the optimal nitrogen application.     

Response of Vitis vinifera cv. ‘Tempranillo’ to partial rootzone drying in the field: Water relations, growth, yield and fruit and wine quality

This paper reports the effects of irrigation amount and partial rootzone drying (PRD) on water relations, growth, yield and wine quality of Vitis vinifera cv. ‘Tempranillo’ during two consecutive years in a commercial vineyard with a deep, light-clay soil located in Requena, Valencia, Spain. Partial rootzone drying applied at two amounts (100% and 50% of the estimated crop evapotranspiration), was compared to conventional drip irrigation, and also to rainfed vines. Results showed that the effects of irrigation amount on yield and wine quality were different between years. In 2003 with low yield values (around 6.3 t ha⁻¹) irrigation did neither affect grape production nor wine quality. However, in the following year, with much higher general yield (17 t ha⁻¹), the high irrigation dose increased yield by 30% compared to rainfed vines and it also increased must total soluble solids and wine alcohol content. In both seasons, PRD did not significantly affect physiological parameters, nor growth, yield or fruit and wine quality, when compared to the same amount of water applied by conventional drip irrigation. Overall these results suggest that, under our experimental conditions, it was the irrigation amount rather than the system of application what affected vine performance, indicating the difficulties of successfully employing the PRD type of irrigation with a drip system in heavy and deep soils.     

Assessing benefits of irrigation and nutrient management practices on a southeast Florida royal palm (Roystonea elata) field nursery

Many of the best management practices (BMPs) that are recommended for agricultural producers have not been scientifically evaluated for their conservation benefits considering the soil, climate, and hydrology of the proposed application location. The goal of this study was to compare royal palm (Roystonea elata) production in south Florida, USA, using tensiometer automated irrigation and reduced soil applications of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), to that of traditional grower practices considering water savings, nutrient inputs, crop yield, crop nutrient status, soil nutrient status, and economic analyses. The study consisted of six treatments: (1) control (i.e., a grower irrigation rate and N and P fertilizer rates); (2) irrigation system automated to irrigate when soil water suction exceeded 5 kPa and the grower N and P rates; (3) irrigation system automated to irrigate when soil water suction exceeded 15 kPa and the grower N and P rates; (4) irrigation system automated to irrigate when soil water suction exceeded 15 kPa and 50% of the grower N and P rates; (5) the grower irrigation rate and 75% of the grower N and P rates; and (6) the grower irrigation rate and 50% of the grower N and P rates. Irrigation water volume applied, plant diameters, and plant heights were measured periodically throughout the study and plant tissue samples and soil samples were collected periodically for analysis of N and P content. Significant differences among treatments were only observed for the irrigation water volume applied. Automating the irrigation system to irrigate at soil suction exceeding 5 and 15 kPa resulted in 75 and 96% less water applied, respectively, than traditional irrigation scheduling practices used by a grower. Economic analyses suggested that all treatments would result in financial savings ranging from 7 to 34% per ha considering a 5-year, 2 ha investment. Thus, automating irrigation based on soil water suction for palm production in southern Florida, USA and similar locations will result in more sustainable agricultural production systems by benefiting the environment (less nutrients and water applied) and the grower (lower cost).     

Water tension thresholds for processing tomatoes under drip irrigation in Central Brazil

Drip irrigation has the potential to save water and mitigate foliar diseases for processing tomato production in Central Brazil. Four experiments were carried out at Embrapa Vegetables, Brasília, Brazil, to establish irrigation management strategies during vegetative, fruit development, and maturation growth stages of drip-irrigated processing tomato. Soil water tension (SWT) threshold values ranging from 5 to 120 kPa were evaluated. Plants growing under higher water deficit during the vegetative stage showed root systems up to 10 cm deeper than those irrigated more frequently. Maximum fruit yield was reached when irrigations were performed at SWT thresholds of 35, 12, and 15 kPa during vegetative, fruit development, and maturation growth stages, respectively. Total soluble solids content was not affected by irrigation treatments during vegetative and fruit development stages, but increased as SWT increased during fruit maturation growth stage.

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Effects of timing and duration of brackish irrigation water on fruit yield and quality of late summer melons

Brackish water (7 dS m⁻¹) is frequently utilized to drip-irrigate crops in the Negev desert of Israel, the practice being to use deep sandy soils (96% sand) to avoid soil salinization. When muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.), a moderately salt-sensitive crop species, was grown using brackish irrigation under these conditions, yields declined due to a significant reduction in fruit size, but fruit quality parameters improved markedly. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that the use of fresh irrigation water during the early vegetative phase would increase canopy size and leaf area index (LAI) and hence the potential productivity of the melon plant. The application of brackish water during the reproductive phase, on the other hand, would improve fruit quality. Using multiple irrigations within a 24-h period, applied with drip irrigation, we examined the timing, the duration, and the concentration of brackish irrigation water as tools to optimize fruit yield and quality in late-summer melons. Indeed, the combination of fresh (1.2 dS m⁻¹) and brackish (7 dS m⁻¹) irrigation water increased the yield level to that of fresh water plants whereas it brought about the improvement of fruit quality typical to brackish water plants, thus providing an attractive approach to optimize late-summer melon production. Our results demonstrate the trade-off between fruit size and fruit quality as related to the timing and the duration of brackish irrigation water. The use of a milder (<4.5 dS m⁻¹) salinity level of irrigation water from plant emergence until harvest may be considered as well.