ISHS Acta Horticulturae 825: I Balkan Symposium on Fruit Growing
ADVANCED APPROACHES OF IRRIGATION AND FERTILIZATION OF FRUIT TREES |
| Author: | B.A. Bravdo |
| Keywords: | irrigation, fertigation, root restriction, PRD, water availability, cytokinins, split roots |
| Abstract:
The breakthrough of computerization during the last two decades had a tremendous effect on technologies and consequently on the markets of all commodities including the fruit market. The growers of today have to meet high standards of fruit production and quality in order to be profitable. Meeting those high standards requires the use of advanced methods of cultivation based on controlled water relations, mineral nutrition, growth regulators application and pruning. The introduction of drip irrigation during the last 4 decades increased our understanding of the root physiology and enabled to develop methods for controlling the root system activity, and thereby affect the whole plant physiology in regard to productivity and quality. Partial root wetting by drip irrigation systems enables to control water availability without interfering with aeration and concentration of mineral concentration in the root zone. A dense root system is composed of numerous feeder roots with a high rate of branching and formation of root tips that produce growth regulators that are involved in the reproductive and vegetative growth of the canopy. The physiological basis of partial rootzone wetting is even wider and involves water, mineral and oxygen transfer between roots that enables the root system to develop all kinds of roots according to its genetic traits. Computerized irrigation and fertilization systems are based on either soil moisture measurements, meteorological stations and monitoring of plant water status. Computerized irrigation systems based on monitoring plant water status and turning on the irrigation system whenever leaf turgor falls bellow a predetermined level enables to control the plant turgor around the clock. Controlling leaf turgor at various stages of growth and development enables to implement concepts such as RDI precisely and stimulate vegetative growth and fruit growth at their appropriate stage of growth. | |
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