Articles
WATER PRODUCTIVITY OF PEACH FOR PROCESSING IN A SOIL WITH LOW AVAILABLE WATER HOLDING CAPACITY
Article number
889_21
Pages
189 – 195
Language
English
Abstract
Different irrigation and nitrogen management strategies have been applied to meet industry requirements and farmers goals.
A four-year field experiment (2006-2009) was conducted in a commercial peach orchard.
Three irrigation strategies were evaluated according to fruit growth stages: full irrigation throughout the growing season to match crop evapotranspiration (ETc), regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) during stage II (30% ETc) and RDI during stage III (70% ETc). These were combined with three nitrogen strategies: 0, 60 and 120 kg N ha-1. The peach cultivar was Andross on GF305 rootstock at 5×2.8 m planted in 1999. The soil type was a shallow, well-drained, loam which had a petrocalcic horizon within 45 cm of the soil surface (Petrocalcic Calcixerepts). The total available water holding capacity was 41 mm.
RDI applied in stages II and III increased water productivity (WP) and fruit soluble solids concentration (SSC). The highest WP was found in 2007 (17.5 kg dry matter fruit ha-1 mm-1 of irrigation water + effective precipitation), while 2006 produced fruits with the highest SSC (12.5%). The interaction effects of nitrogen and irrigation were significant for WP and SSC. The highest WP was obtained with 60 kg N ha-1 and when irrigation was restricted during stage III. Moderate N application (60 kg N ha-1) produced the maximum WP and yield but did not affect SSC.
A four-year field experiment (2006-2009) was conducted in a commercial peach orchard.
Three irrigation strategies were evaluated according to fruit growth stages: full irrigation throughout the growing season to match crop evapotranspiration (ETc), regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) during stage II (30% ETc) and RDI during stage III (70% ETc). These were combined with three nitrogen strategies: 0, 60 and 120 kg N ha-1. The peach cultivar was Andross on GF305 rootstock at 5×2.8 m planted in 1999. The soil type was a shallow, well-drained, loam which had a petrocalcic horizon within 45 cm of the soil surface (Petrocalcic Calcixerepts). The total available water holding capacity was 41 mm.
RDI applied in stages II and III increased water productivity (WP) and fruit soluble solids concentration (SSC). The highest WP was found in 2007 (17.5 kg dry matter fruit ha-1 mm-1 of irrigation water + effective precipitation), while 2006 produced fruits with the highest SSC (12.5%). The interaction effects of nitrogen and irrigation were significant for WP and SSC. The highest WP was obtained with 60 kg N ha-1 and when irrigation was restricted during stage III. Moderate N application (60 kg N ha-1) produced the maximum WP and yield but did not affect SSC.
Authors
M. Pascual, J.M. Villar, X. Domingo, J. Rufat
Keywords
nitrogen water interaction, fruit quality
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