Tag: Water Efficiency
Dealing with Water Scarcity and Salinity: Adoption of Water Efficient Technologies and Management Practices by California Avocado Growers
The irrigated agriculture sector has been facing an increased scarcity of good quality water worldwide. Consequently, the sustainability of water intensive crops, such as avocado, is threatened when water becomes scarce and expensive, or when growers must use saline water supplies that reduce crop yields. A variety of irrigation technologies and water management practices are now recommended to help growers through times of limited water supplies and elevated salinity levels. To examine how growers
The roles of fruit sink in the regulation of gas exchange and water uptake: A case study for avocado
The effects of drip irrigation frequency on ‘Hass’ avocado trees grown in lysimeters were examined. The experimental design comprised three irrigation frequencies: (a) pulsed irrigation (10–20 min every 30 min) throughout the day (Irg1); (b) one daily irrigation event beginning at night and terminated in the morning every day (Irg2); and (c) one irrigation event every two days (Irg3). Irrigation treatments induced significant differences in water availability in the root zone and in plant water
Response of ‘Hass’ avocado trees to irrigation management and root constraint
The performance of ‘Hass’ avocado trees grown in lysimeters under different irrigation regimes obtained by manipulating drip irrigation frequency and root volume was examined. The experimental design comprised six treatments (3×2) with three irrigation frequencies and two container volumes (100- and 200-L). The three irrigation frequencies were: pulsed irrigation (10–20min every 30min) throughout the day (Irg1), one daily irrigation event beginning at night and terminated in the morning every
Irrigation of ‘Hass’ avocado: effects of constant vs. temporary water stress
The main objectives of the present study were to assess the water demand for heavy fruit load of ‘Hass’ avocado throughout the growth periods and to investigate the effects of deficit irrigation during sensitive phenological phases on yield. The experimental set-up allowed the comparison between trees responses to three irrigation strategies during the entire growth period (no water stress; excessive irrigation; constant water stress) as well as the comparison between regulated deficit irrigation
Soil oxygen and water dynamics underlying hypoxic conditions in the root-zone of avocado irrigated with treated wastewater in clay soil
Alternative water sources for agriculture are in high demand in a world with diminishing fresh water (FW) availability. Treated wastewater (TWW) offers a reliable alternative, but increasing evidence is pointing to damage to TWW irrigated orchards planted in clay soils related to soil hypoxia. The mechanisms responsible for this hypoxia have not been extensively studied to date. The aim of this study was to elucidate meaningful insights into the mechanisms responsible for the hypoxia in TWW irrigated
Impact of deficit irrigation on fruit yield and lipid profile of terraced avocado orchards
Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is a subtropical tree, particularly sensitive to either an excess or a lack of water. Understanding this balance is crucial to determine the optimum water supply and enhance crop productivity. The rising shortage of water resources in semiarid producing regions and the need for irrigation optimization call for sustainable water savings. A 3-year monitoring study with avocado cv. “Hass” tested sustained-deficit irrigation strategies supplying 33, 50 or 75% of the