Articles
Assessing water requirements of pitaya (S. undatus) under greenhouse conditions: a first step towards optimizing irrigation
Article number
1452_17
Pages
135 – 140
Language
English
Abstract
The Algarve region provides ideal edaphoclimatic conditions for cultivating subtropical and some tropical fruit species.
Pitaya (Selenicereus spp.) is also aligned with Algarve’s goal of revitalizing fruit production through species that require less water.
Recently introduced into commercial farming in Portugal, the expansion of this crop lacks more detailed information about its specific cultivation requirements.
Although native to the humid forests of Central America, with consistent water availability, pitaya can also survive and produce in drier climates such as the Mediterranean.
Nonetheless, to achieve good yields and high-quality fruit, adequate irrigation is essential.
Understanding pitaya’s water needs can be challenging due to its natural water-conserving mechanisms, such as CAM (crassulacean acid metabolism) and water-storing cladodes.
This study aims to clarify these needs firstly by determining the daily water consumption (DWC). At the University of Algarve, a greenhouse experiment monitors the DWC of 36 plants (S. undatus) in 4-L pots, enabling precise measurement of water consumption, with and without vegetative growth.
During the summer, DWC ranged between 0.02 and 0.08 L day‑1, influenced by the excessively high temperatures and the low humidity.
These conditions significantly increased substrate evaporation rates.
The results also suggest that pitaya growth showed no correlation with DWC. Since the summer trial confirmed the negative impact of excessively high temperatures, the same experiment was conducted in the autumn-winter season, when the plants grew in more favourable conditions.
Pitaya’s exceptional water efficiency, evidenced by low summer DWC, makes it ideal for water-scarce regions.
Substrate or soil covering, can further enhance water use efficiency, reinforcing its potential as a sustainable and economically viable crop.
Preliminary results on the DWC of these plants indicate that pitaya’s evapotranspiration seems significantly lower compared to other irrigated fruit crops in the region.
Pitaya (Selenicereus spp.) is also aligned with Algarve’s goal of revitalizing fruit production through species that require less water.
Recently introduced into commercial farming in Portugal, the expansion of this crop lacks more detailed information about its specific cultivation requirements.
Although native to the humid forests of Central America, with consistent water availability, pitaya can also survive and produce in drier climates such as the Mediterranean.
Nonetheless, to achieve good yields and high-quality fruit, adequate irrigation is essential.
Understanding pitaya’s water needs can be challenging due to its natural water-conserving mechanisms, such as CAM (crassulacean acid metabolism) and water-storing cladodes.
This study aims to clarify these needs firstly by determining the daily water consumption (DWC). At the University of Algarve, a greenhouse experiment monitors the DWC of 36 plants (S. undatus) in 4-L pots, enabling precise measurement of water consumption, with and without vegetative growth.
During the summer, DWC ranged between 0.02 and 0.08 L day‑1, influenced by the excessively high temperatures and the low humidity.
These conditions significantly increased substrate evaporation rates.
The results also suggest that pitaya growth showed no correlation with DWC. Since the summer trial confirmed the negative impact of excessively high temperatures, the same experiment was conducted in the autumn-winter season, when the plants grew in more favourable conditions.
Pitaya’s exceptional water efficiency, evidenced by low summer DWC, makes it ideal for water-scarce regions.
Substrate or soil covering, can further enhance water use efficiency, reinforcing its potential as a sustainable and economically viable crop.
Preliminary results on the DWC of these plants indicate that pitaya’s evapotranspiration seems significantly lower compared to other irrigated fruit crops in the region.
Authors
A.R. Trindade, E. Veiga, A. Arozarena, M.A. Neves, A. Duarte
Keywords
Algarve, CAM, dragon fruit, evapotranspiration, irrigation, Mediterranean Basin, water consumption, water use efficiency
Groups involved
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