Influence of Irrigation Method and Fertilization Type on Avocado Yield and Quality
Authors: Darwish, W.M.; Elmetwalli, A.H.
This research study investigated the impact of watering method and fertilization on avocado yield and quality in newly reclaimed areas. The research attempted to choose the optimum irrigation system and fertilization type to improve avocado yield and quality. Different irrigation systems (micro-sprinkler, drip irrigation and combined approach of micro-sprinkler and drip) with different fertilization types (mineral fertilization, fertilization using fallen avocado leaves+mineral fertilization and fertilization using plant compost +mineral fertilization) were evaluated for enhancing avocado yield and quality. The results showed that using fallen avocado leaves and plant compost, with mineral fertilization and the use of combined irrigation (micro-sprinkler + drip irrigation together) increased total yield, growth rates, water use efficiency compared with the use of mineral fertilization only with microsprinkler irrigation or drip irrigation only. Drip irrigation led to higher water use efficiency as a result of less water applied. The highest avocado yields of 21.08 and 14.63 Mg ha-1 for Hass and Ettinger cultivar respectively were obtained from the combination combined irrigation with fallen leaves + mineral in 2016-17 growing season. The same combination produced the highest yield in the second season but with fewer records.
