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.     

Measured and estimated water use and crop coefficients of grapevines trained to overhead trellis systems in California’s San Joaquin Valley

The use of overhead trellis systems for the production of dry-on-vine (DOV) raisins and table grapes in California is expanding. Studies were conducted from 2006 to 2009 using Thompson Seedless grapevines grown in a weighing lysimeter trained to an overhead arbor trellis and farmed as DOV raisins for the first two years and for use as table grapes thereafter. Maximum canopy coverage for the two lysimeter vines across years was in excess of 80 %. Seasonal (15 March–31 October) evapotranspiration for the lysimeter vines (ET_Lys) was 952 mm in 2007 (farmed as DOV raisins) and 943 and 952 mm (when farmed as table grapes). The maximum crop coefficient (K _cLys) across all 4 years ranged from 1.3 to 1.4. These maximum values were similar to those estimated using the relationship where K _c is a function of the amount of shaded area measured beneath the canopy at solar noon (K _c = 0.017 × percent shaded area). Covering the lysimeter’s soil surface with plastic (and then removing it) numerous times during the 2009 growing season (1 June–14 September) reduced ET_Lys from an average of 6.4 to 5.6 mm day^?1 and the K _c from 1.07 to 0.93. A seasonal basal K _c (K _cb) was calculated for grapevines using an overhead trellis system with a 13 % reduction in the K _cLys across the growing season.     

Crop response of drought-tolerant and conventional maize hybrids in a semiarid environment

In the High Plains, corn (Zea mays L.) is an important commodity for livestock feed. However, limited water resources and drought conditions continue to hinder corn production. Drought-tolerant (DT) corn hybrids could help maintain high yields under water-limited conditions, though consistent response of such hybrids is unverified. In this two-year study, the effects of three irrigation treatments were investigated for a DT and conventional maize hybrid, Pioneer AQUAMax P0876HR and Pioneer 33Y75, respectively. In 2013, the drier of the 2 years, irrigation amounts and crop water use (ET_c) were greater for the conventional hybrid, but grain water use efficiency (WUE) and harvest index were significantly greater for the DT hybrid. In 2014, grain yields and WUE were not significantly different between hybrids. However, irrigation amounts, ET_c and biomass yields were greater for the conventional hybrid. Results from both years indicate that the DT hybrid required less water to maximize grain yield as compared to the conventional hybrid. Producing relatively high yields with reduced amounts of water may provide a means for producers to continue corn production in a semiarid environment with declining water supplies.     

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) water use efficiency as affected by harvest traffic and soil compaction in a sandy loam soil

Summary Traffic during alfalfa harvest operations can cause soil compaction and damage to newly growing stems. Root exploration for soil water and nutrients, forage growth dynamics, and final yield can all be affected. The objectives of this study were to determine the long-term effects of harvest traffic and soil compaction on water-use efficiency (WUE) of alfalfa grown in a Wasco sandy loam (coarse-loamy, mixed, nonacid, thermic Typic Torriorthents). Alfalfa was planted into tilled soil and managed with or without harvest traffic. Plants subjected to traffic during harvest had a significantly lower WUE two out of the three years studied compared to plants that were never subject to traffic. The second experiment examined whether planting alfalfa into compacted soil and managed with or without harvest traffic altered WUE. Soil compaction had no affect on alfalfa WUE. It was significantly lower when grown in compacted soil and subjected to harvest traffic. It is suggested that the decrease in WUE caused by harvest traffic may be explained by plants allocating carbohydrates to damaged shoots and crowns instead of to above ground forage production. The area of the field affected by harvest traffic, which damages newly growing stems, should be minimized to increase crop water use efficiency.     

Design and evaluation of an irrigation system for creating water gradients under an automatic rain shelter

Summary This paper reports on the design and performance of an irrigation system associated with a rain shelter. The shelter is used in the closed position as a platform for multiple spray lines. This system automatically supplies, at a specified time, water of specified depth and delivery rate, either uniformly or on a specified gradient across the sheltered area. Variations in crop water deficits and yields have conformed closely to imposed water gradients.     

Simulation of the intake and partition of nutrients by the dairy cow: Part I — Management control in the dairy enterprise; philosophy and general model construction

The development of management control techniques for the dairy derd is discussed in this paper in relation to the rationale behind the construction of a detailed model of milk production in the individual cow. The movement towards a more flexible and individualised basis for predicting yield, which does not depend on historical records or standard energy systems, is highlighted.The overall concept and approach of the model are set out and the control aspects and structural framework of the program explained. Subsequent papers in the series will deal in more detail with the major sections of the program in order to illustrate how the mechanisms of the model actually operate and to provide results and an account of the validation procedure.