ISHS Acta Horticulturae 726: IV International Symposium on Pistachios and Almonds
PRODUCTION IMPROVEMENTS IN PISTACHIO TREES UNDER DIFFERENT IRRIGATION REGIMES |
| Authors: | J. Guerrero, A. Moriana, J.F. Couceiro |
| Keywords: | irrigation scheduling regulated deficit irrigation, stem water potential, stomata conductance, water relations. |
| Abstract:
Irrigation is the most important crop management in order to increase orchard productivity and production. Moreover, since pistachio trees are very tolerant to drought and salinity stress, they may be considered as one of the best fruit trees for irrigation conditions in semiarid areas. However, in most of the countries the scarcity of water is the common topic. Then the research about the improvements of economic yield value with low water applications is very important. Our experiment was carried out in C.M.A. El Chaparrillo (Central Spain) and is the first year data. The orchard is 8-year-old cv Kerman on Pistacia terebinthus L. . The trees were irrigated with a low amount of water (50 mm) until the beginning of the experiment. Four irrigation treatments (100%, 80%, 65%, and 50% of crop evapotranspiration) and a rain fed control were performed. Stem water potential, leaf conductance, nut dry weight and nut diameter were measured during the irrigation season. Significant differences were found in water relation parameter but not in nut measurements. The yield showed no significant differences when the trunk diameter was used as covariable. The percentages of split nuts were significantly higher in 100% (around 65%) than in the rest of treatments. Rain fed trees showed the lowest values (around 35%). The yield results were likely related with the previous year condition that limited the influence of the amount of water. | |
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