Articles
DRIP IRRIGATION FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF STRAWBERRY TRANSPLANTS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Article number
889_64
Pages
507 – 512
Language
English
Abstract
Strawberry (Fragaria×ananassa) transplants in California are planted through narrow holes in raised beds covered with polyethylene mulch.
They are typically irrigated with overhead sprinklers for the first 5 to 6 weeks after planting to leach salts and facilitate root establishment; most of this sprinkler-applied water runs off the plastic without reaching the plant and is not recovered.
The plants are subsequently irrigated with buried drip tape during the following 8 months.
In fall of 2007, we compared the use of drip irrigation only (tape buried at 5 cm depth) to the standard sprinkler irrigation for transplant establishment.
The experiment was repeated in summer 2008 with drip tape placed at the soil surface and pre-irrigation in the drip treatment for 48 h prior to planting.
We tracked the amount of water applied and measured electrical conductivity of the solution extracted from a water-saturated soil paste (ECe) for soil sampled at 0 to 5 cm depth, plant canopy size, weed densities in adjacent furrows (2007), incidence of common leaf spot and early fruit yield (2008). ECe was 58% higher on average with drip irrigation compared to sprinkler during the first 1 to 4 weeks after transplanting, but the two treatments were generally similar in subsequent sampling in both 2007 and 2008. Pre-irrigation with drip in 2008 kept ECe <3 dS/m, similar to sprinkler irrigation, at planting.
Water use was reduced 75% in 2007 and 48% in 2008 in drip plots compared to sprinkler.
In 2007, plants in functioning drip plots were similar in size to those in sprinkler-irrigated plots.
In 2008, plants in drip-irrigated plots were larger and had lower incidence of leaf spot than sprinkler-irrigated plants, but early yields were similar in the two irrigation systems.
Additionally, in 2007 weed densities were reduced 96% in furrows near beds irrigated with drip compared to sprinklers.
Establishment of strawberry transplants using drip irrigation alone is feasible with pre-irrigation, careful placement and monitoring of drip lines, and tracking soil salinity, and may reduce water use and runoff.
They are typically irrigated with overhead sprinklers for the first 5 to 6 weeks after planting to leach salts and facilitate root establishment; most of this sprinkler-applied water runs off the plastic without reaching the plant and is not recovered.
The plants are subsequently irrigated with buried drip tape during the following 8 months.
In fall of 2007, we compared the use of drip irrigation only (tape buried at 5 cm depth) to the standard sprinkler irrigation for transplant establishment.
The experiment was repeated in summer 2008 with drip tape placed at the soil surface and pre-irrigation in the drip treatment for 48 h prior to planting.
We tracked the amount of water applied and measured electrical conductivity of the solution extracted from a water-saturated soil paste (ECe) for soil sampled at 0 to 5 cm depth, plant canopy size, weed densities in adjacent furrows (2007), incidence of common leaf spot and early fruit yield (2008). ECe was 58% higher on average with drip irrigation compared to sprinkler during the first 1 to 4 weeks after transplanting, but the two treatments were generally similar in subsequent sampling in both 2007 and 2008. Pre-irrigation with drip in 2008 kept ECe <3 dS/m, similar to sprinkler irrigation, at planting.
Water use was reduced 75% in 2007 and 48% in 2008 in drip plots compared to sprinkler.
In 2007, plants in functioning drip plots were similar in size to those in sprinkler-irrigated plots.
In 2008, plants in drip-irrigated plots were larger and had lower incidence of leaf spot than sprinkler-irrigated plants, but early yields were similar in the two irrigation systems.
Additionally, in 2007 weed densities were reduced 96% in furrows near beds irrigated with drip compared to sprinklers.
Establishment of strawberry transplants using drip irrigation alone is feasible with pre-irrigation, careful placement and monitoring of drip lines, and tracking soil salinity, and may reduce water use and runoff.
Authors
O. Daugovish, B. Faber, M. Mochizuki
Keywords
Fragaria×ananassa, salinity, salt sensitivity, water conservation, water use
Online Articles (79)