Articles
ASSESING ALMOND ORCHARD WATER USE: EVALUATION OF METHODS
Article number
1028_55
Pages
341 – 345
Language
English
Abstract
Orchard water requirements have been the subject of controversy in recent years because the traditional methods for estimating crop ETc do not always determine correctly tree water needs.
Reports of intensive almond production under full irrigation indicate that seasonal requirements exceed 1000 mm/season and that peak ETc values of 7-9 mm/day are possible.
This is in contrast with traditional irrigation plantations where, given the reputation of drought resistance that almond has, seasonal amounts of 30-50% of maximum ETc are applied in some form of deficit irrigation.
Experimental determination of maximum ETc using a large weighing lysimeter was started at Cordoba, Spain in 2009. Since that year, measurements of E and T together with ancillary information on tree leaf area have been taken with the aim of developing models to compute almond tree water requirements.
Sap flow sensors have been installed in the experimental tree to obtain detailed T records in response to environmental conditions.
The performance of different ETc models will be evaluated against actual ETc measurements.
Reports of intensive almond production under full irrigation indicate that seasonal requirements exceed 1000 mm/season and that peak ETc values of 7-9 mm/day are possible.
This is in contrast with traditional irrigation plantations where, given the reputation of drought resistance that almond has, seasonal amounts of 30-50% of maximum ETc are applied in some form of deficit irrigation.
Experimental determination of maximum ETc using a large weighing lysimeter was started at Cordoba, Spain in 2009. Since that year, measurements of E and T together with ancillary information on tree leaf area have been taken with the aim of developing models to compute almond tree water requirements.
Sap flow sensors have been installed in the experimental tree to obtain detailed T records in response to environmental conditions.
The performance of different ETc models will be evaluated against actual ETc measurements.
Authors
M. Espadafor, I. Lorite, P. Orgaz, L. Testi, E. Fereres
Keywords
Prunus dulcis D.A. Webb, lysimeter, evapotranspiration, crop coefficient, Eddy-covariance
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