Articles
THE EFFECT OF IRRIGATION ON SHOOT GROWTH IN BLACK AND RED CURRANTS
The need of irrigation was determined on the basis of the amount of available water in soil expressed by gypsum block counts.
All fields taken together, the mean total length of new long shoots per plant was 9–17 m in 1991 and 24–33 m in 1992. The mean length of new shoots was 23–48 cm in 1991 and 18–27 cm in 1992. The total number of buds on new shoots per plant was 483–826 in 1991 and 1015–1894 in 1992. The average number of buds per cm was 0.35–0.47 on black currant shoots and 0.52–0.73 on red currant shoots.
In 1991–1992, irrigation increased significantly the total length of new long shoots on four experimental fields, the difference being 16–123 % from the length in non-irrigated plants.
The mean length of new long shoots increased by irrigation on three fields, the increase being 16–38 %. Irrigation increased the total number of buds on new shoots on two fields, the increase being 23–62 %, but decreased the bud density on two fields by 5–21 %.