Irrigation scheduling and regulated deficit irrigation in stone fruits

Abstract

In recent years the interest for applying irrigation techniques aiming to reduce water consumption has increased, mainly in areas with scarce water resources. We studied the effect of different regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies on peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch cv. "Catherine") performance in Murcia (SE Spain) during three consecutive growing seasons. Three irrigation strategies were established: a control treatment, irrigated to fully satisfy the crop water requirements and two RDI treatments (moderate and severe) based on measurements of stem water potential (Ψs). Pruning weight, percentage of fruit categories, fruit diameter, crop load and yield were determined for each treatment. The results indicated that RDI treatments significantly reduced pruning weight. However, no significant differences were detected in terms of reproductive growth, fruit categories and yield. In the case of water productivity, the values for the RDI treatments were higher than those from the control. These results and water savings up to 50% indicate that RDI strategies constitute a possible solution against water shortages in areas such as the south-eastern region of Spain, although sustainability must be studied in the medium-long term.