Articles
IRRIGATION WITH LOW-QUALITY WATER: EFFECTS ON PRODUCTIVITY, FRUIT QUALITY AND PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES OF VEGETABLE CROPS
Article number
449_82
Pages
591 – 598
Language
Abstract
Low-quality water is defined as water with a relatively high content of impurities, among which salts are the most important factor.
Such water can be used for irrigation of several horticultural crops (tomatoes, melons and water melons, among others), and its use can contribute to improved fruit quality, provided a proper irrigation management is adopted.
The potential for use of such low-quality water to improve fruit quality will, however, depend on the possibility to minimize environmental hazard, mainly pollution of the subsurface water table.
It is, therefore, used in sandy soils when the water table is deep, or in artificial substrates when the water is being recycled.
Our studies showed that fruit yield was decreased when saline water at any salt concentration above that good-quality water was used.
The magnitude of this decrease depended on salt concentration, amount of water applied, climatic conditions and switches from low to high water qualities or vice versa.
Fruit quality, based on chemical constituents (mainly glucose content), taste and shelf life, were all improved when the crop was irrigated with water containing salts.
Production and accumulation of dry weight in fruits was also increased.
The quality increase can be attributed to a rise in glucose and ions (mainly chlorides). Salinity decreased fruit size, but had a much smaller effect on fruit number.
The decrease in fruit size could account only partly for their increase in solute content, therefore, it is suggested that an allocation of solutes specifically to the fruits must take place, to account for their osmotic adjustment.
Such water can be used for irrigation of several horticultural crops (tomatoes, melons and water melons, among others), and its use can contribute to improved fruit quality, provided a proper irrigation management is adopted.
The potential for use of such low-quality water to improve fruit quality will, however, depend on the possibility to minimize environmental hazard, mainly pollution of the subsurface water table.
It is, therefore, used in sandy soils when the water table is deep, or in artificial substrates when the water is being recycled.
Our studies showed that fruit yield was decreased when saline water at any salt concentration above that good-quality water was used.
The magnitude of this decrease depended on salt concentration, amount of water applied, climatic conditions and switches from low to high water qualities or vice versa.
Fruit quality, based on chemical constituents (mainly glucose content), taste and shelf life, were all improved when the crop was irrigated with water containing salts.
Production and accumulation of dry weight in fruits was also increased.
The quality increase can be attributed to a rise in glucose and ions (mainly chlorides). Salinity decreased fruit size, but had a much smaller effect on fruit number.
The decrease in fruit size could account only partly for their increase in solute content, therefore, it is suggested that an allocation of solutes specifically to the fruits must take place, to account for their osmotic adjustment.
Authors
Z. Plaut
Keywords
Salinity, yield, fruit quality, glucose, taste, vegetable crops
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