Response of apricot trees to deficit irrigation strategies

• Published in: Irrigation science 2009-03, Vol.27 (3), p.231-242
• Main Authors: Pérez-Pastor, A., Domingo, R., Torrecillas, A., Ruiz-Sánchez, Ma. C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural production; Agriculture; Aquatic Pollution; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Climate Change; Crop yield; Drip irrigation; Environment; Evapotranspiration; Fruit trees; Fruits; Growing season; Harvesting; Irrigation; Irrigation water; Leaves; Life Sciences; Moisture content; Original Paper; Plant growth; Soil water; Studies; Sustainable Development; Trees; Waste Water Technology; Water Industry/Water Technologies; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Water potential; Water resources
• ISSN: 0342-7188; 1432-1319
• DOI: 10.1007/s00271-008-0136-x

During four growing seasons, 10-year-old apricot trees ( Prunus armeniaca L., cv. ‘Búlida’) were submitted to three different drip irrigation regimes: (1) a control treatment, irrigated at 100% of seasonal crop evapotranspiration (ETc), (2) a continuous deficit irrigation (DI) treatment, irrigated at 50% of the control treatment, and (3) a regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) treatment, irrigated at 100% of ETc during the critical periods, which correspond to stage III of fruit growth and 2 months after harvest (early postharvest), and at 25% of ETc during the rest of the non-critical periods in the first two growing seasons and at 40% of ETc in the third and fourth. Soil–plant–water relation parameters were sensitive to the water deficits applied, which caused reductions in leaf and soil water potentials. The longer and severer deficits of the RDI treatment decreased fruit yield in the first two seasons. The RDI treatment pointed to two threshold values that defined the level at which both plant growth and yield were negatively affected with respect to the control treatment: (1) a predawn leaf water potential of around −0.5 MPa during the critical periods, and (2) a 22% drop in irrigation water. The total yield obtained in the DI treatment was significantly reduced in all the years studied due to the lower number of fruits per tree. No changes in the physical characteristics of fruits were observed at harvest. RDI can be considered a useful strategy in semiarid areas with limited water resources.