ISHS Acta Horticulturae 664: IV International Symposium on Irrigation of Horticultural Crops
USE OF A TENSIOMETER-BASED CONTROL SYSTEM TO REDUCE IRRIGATION OF CUT FLOWER DIANTHUS CARYOPHYLLUS 'SANTORINI' WHILST MAINTAINING FLOWER YIELD AND QUALITY |
| Authors: | R.D. Taylor, B.W.W. Grout, J. Hill |
| Keywords: | carnation, quality-class, stem length, marketable yield, soil water tension |
| Abstract:
As production of cut flowers increases in developing countries, concerns are being raised about environmental impact, with particular regard to water utilisation, the effects of extraction and pollution of waterways by chemical run-off and leaching. Effective control and delivery of irrigation allows limited and vulnerable water resources to be managed positively to protect the surrounding environment whilst maintaining the high quality production demanded by valuable export markets. A tensiometer-based irrigation system that monitors soil water tension and uses the data to trigger water supply was used to investigate the effect of soil-tension controlled irrigation on the production and quality of cut flower Dianthus caryophyllus ‘Santorini’. Five treatments covered a range of soil water tensions from 15 kPa to 75 kPa, the upper limit of most commercial tensiometers. Harvested flowers were graded and sized according to EC Regulation 316/68. Irrigation triggered at a soil moisture tension of 15 kPa produced the highest number of long stems (>60cm) but with inconsistent quality. A triggering tension of 45 kPa produced the most flowers and at the highest quality, particularly at stem lengths >60 cm. Overall, no decline in flower quality or stem length was noted except for the treatment where the soil tension reached 75 kPa before irrigation. The investigation demonstrated that water resources can be managed with the use of tensiometers to reduce water input to maintain and, possibly, improve flower yield and quality. | |
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