Effects of deficit irrigation on growth, yield and fruit quality of eggplant under semi-arid conditions

2002 ◽  
Vol 53 (12) ◽  
pp. 1367 ◽  
Author(s):  
Halil Kirnak ◽  
Ismail Tas ◽  
Cengiz Kaya ◽  
David Higgs

Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) cv. Pala was grown in the field from March to August 2001 in order to investigate the effects of deficit irrigation on fruit yield and quality (i.e. soluble dry matter, fruit size), leaf relative water content, leaf area index (LAI), leaf chlorophyll concentration, electrolyte leakage, and leaf nutrient composition (N, P, K) in eggplant. Treatments were: (1) well-watered treatment receiving 100% replenishment of A pan evaporation on a daily basis (C); (2) water-stressed treatment receiving 90% replenishment of A pan evaporation at 4-day intervals (WS1); (3) water-stressed treatment receiving 80% replenishment of A pan evaporation at 8-day intervals (WS2); and (4) water-stressed treatment receiving 70% replenishment of A pan evaporation at 12-day intervals (WS3). A total of 1276 mm of water was applied to C treatment, and the seasonal water use of eggplant ranged from 905 to 1373 mm. The C treatment had the highest yield as well as the largest and the heaviest fruit. WS1 did not significantly affect fruit yield or fruit size but fruits were slightly lighter; plant height, stem diameter, and shoot and root dry weights, LAI, leaf relative water content, nutrient concentrations, and chlorophyll concentrations in leaves were the same as in C; SDM was higher than C. The WS2 and WS3 treatments caused reductions in most parameters, except water-soluble dry matter (SDM) concentrations in fruits, compared with the unstressed (C) treatment. WS2 and WS3 treatments enhanced fruit quality (in terms of SDM) and increased electrolyte leakage compared with C. WS2 and WS3 reduced marketable yield by 12% and 28.6%, respectively, compared with C. The highest total water use efficiency and irrigation water use efficiency were in WS2, resulting in a 20.4% water saving compared with C. The results revealed that the optimal irrigation strategy for eggplant could depend on balancing the situational requirements in terms of irrigation water, yields, and fruit size and quality.

OENO One ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter R. Dry ◽  
B. R. Loveys ◽  
M. G. Mccarthy ◽  
Manfred Stoll

<p style="text-align: justify;">Regulated Deficit Irrigation (RDI) and Partial Rootzone Drying (PRD) are examples of strategie irrigation management. They have been successfully adopted for winegrape production in Australia with the aim of controlling vegetative growth to produce 'balanced' vines, and to improve both water-use efficiency (measured as tonnes of fruit per ML of irrigation water applied) and fruit quality for winemaking. This paper will outline some of the physiological principles that underpin these strategies and provide details of experimental and commercial experience in Australian vineyards.</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 127-135
Author(s):  
Ekubay Tesfay Gebreigziabher

Irrigation water availability is diminishing in many areas of the Ethiopian regions, which require many irrigators to consider deficit-irrigation strategy. This study investigated the response of maize (Zea mays L.) to moisture deficit under conventional, alternate and fixed furrow irrigation systems combined with three irrigation amounts over a two years period. The field experiment was conducted at Selekleka Agricultural Research Farm of Shire-Maitsebri Agricultural Research Center. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications was used. Irrigation depth was monitored using a calibrated 2-inch throat Parshall flume. The effects of the treatments were evaluated in terms of grain yield, dry above-ground biomass, plant height, cob length and water use efficiency. The two years combined result indicated that  net irrigation water applied in alternate furrow irrigation with full amount irrigation depth (100% ETc AFI) treatments was half (3773.5 m3/ha) than that of applied to the conventional furrow with full irrigation amount (CFI with 100% ETc) treatments (7546.9 m3/ha). Despite the very significant reduction in irrigation water used with alternate furrow irrigation (AFI), there was insignificant grain yield reduction in maize(8.31%) as compared to control treatment (CFI with100% ETc). In addition, we also obtained significantly (p<0.001) higher crop water use efficiency of 1.889 kg/m3 in alternate furrow irrigation (AFI), than that was obtained as 0.988 kg/m3 in conventional furrow irrigation (CFI). In view of the results, alternate furrow irrigation method (AFI) is taken as promising for conservation of water (3773.5 m3/ha), time (23:22'50" hours/ha), labor (217.36 USD/ha) and fuel (303.79 USD/ha) for users diverting water from the source to their fields using pump without significant trade-off in yield.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Kassu Tadesse Kassaye ◽  
Wubengeda Admasu Yilma ◽  
Mehiret Hone Fisha ◽  
Dawit Habte Haile

The benefits of water-saving techniques such as alternate furrow and deficit irrigations need to be explored to ensure food security for the ever-increasing population within the context of declining availability of irrigation water. In this regard, field experiments were conducted for 2 consecutive dry seasons in the semiarid region of southwestern Ethiopia and investigated the influence of alternate furrow irrigation method with different irrigation levels on the yield, yield components, water use efficiency, and profitability of potato production. The experiment comprised of 3 irrigation methods: (i) conventional furrow irrigation (CFI), (ii) alternate furrow irrigation (AFI), and (iii) fixed furrow irrigation (FFI) combined factorially with 3 irrigation regimes: (i) 100%, (ii) 75%, and (iii) 50% of the potato water requirement (ETC). The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design replicated thrice. Results revealed that seasonal irrigation water applied in alternate furrows was nearly half (170 mm) of the amount supplied in every furrow (331 mm). Despite the half reduction in the total amount of water, tuber (35.68 t ha−1) and total biomass (44.37 t ha−1) yields of potato in AFI did not significantly differ from CFI (34.84 and 45.35 t ha−1, respectively). Thus, AFI improved WUE by 49% compared to CFI. Irrigating potato using 75% of ETC produced tuber yield of 35.01 t ha−1, which was equivalent with 100% of ETC (35.18 t ha−1). Irrigating alternate furrows using 25% less ETC provided the highest net return of US$74.72 for every unit investment on labor for irrigating potato. In conclusion, irrigating alternate furrows using up to 25% less ETC saved water, provided comparable yield, and enhanced WUE and economic benefit. Therefore, farmers and experts are recommended to make change to AFI with 25% deficit irrigation in the study area and other regions with limited water for potato production to improve economic, environmental, and social performance of their irrigated systems.


2004 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Jacobs ◽  
G. N. Ward ◽  
G. Kearney

The effect of different irrigation strategies on turnip forage crop growth rates, dry matter (DM) yield, water use efficiency (WUE), changes in soil volumetric water content, nutritive characteristics and mineral content was determined on different soil types at different sites (site 1 and 2) over 2 years. Treatments were: (A) a dryland control; (B) fully watered to soil field capacity each week; (C) 75% of full watering; (D) 50% of full watering; (E) 25% of full watering; (F) a single watering to soil field capacity or to a maximum of 50 mm between weeks 0–6; (G) a single watering between weeks 6–8; (H) a single watering between weeks 8–10; and (I) a single watering between weeks 10–12 after sowing. In addition, each irrigation treatment received either 0 or 50 kg N/ha applied 5 weeks after sowing. Responses to applied irrigation water were different at each site and also within one year. At site 1, responses to irrigation were adversely affected by insect damage and delayed sowing, particularly in year 1. However, there were significant increases in DM yield to weekly irrigation regimes in both years, with responses greater in year 2, and responses in both years were greater where nitrogen was applied. At site 2, there were significant responses to weekly irrigation regimes in year 1 with DM yields from fully irrigated plots almost double that of the dryland treatment. In year 2, DM yields from all treatments were similar and it is proposed that lower summer temperatures may have contributed to the improved DM yield observed with the dryland treatment. In both years, at site 2, there were generally higher DM yields with nitrogen application irrespective of irrigation regime. Turnip metabolisable energy values were consistently above 11.5 and 13 MJ/kg DM for leaves and roots respectively, with crude protein contents for leaves ranging from 11 to 20% and 13 to 24% and roots from 6 to 14% and 9 to 17% at sites 1 and 2, respectively. Water use efficiencies varied according to irrigation treatment with higher efficiencies observed at site 2 in both years. In year 1 and 2, total WUE at site 1 varied from 5 to 11 kg DM/ha.mm while at site 2 the range was 20–48�kg�DM/ha.mm with higher values being observed in year 2. As with DM yields it is likely that the observed higher WUE in year 2 was due to lower summer temperatures. At site 2, the dryland treatments produced the highest efficiencies in both years. In contrast, WUE from applied irrigation water ranged from 0 to 35 kg DM/ha.mm at site�1 and from 0 to 23 kg DM/ha.mm at site 2. This study suggests that there is potential to economically irrigate turnips to provide additional DM of high nutritional value for lactating dairy cows, however, issues such as sowing dates, soil type, and insect damage will also influence final yields. In particular, summer temperatures influence both dryland growth potential and growth responses to irrigation. Also single irrigations during the growing period will not significantly increase DM yields over a crop grown under dryland conditions.


Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1265
Author(s):  
Maged Elsayed Ahmed Mohammed ◽  
Mohammed Refdan Alhajhoj ◽  
Hassan Muzzamil Ali-Dinar ◽  
Muhammad Munir

Water scarcity is a major constraint in arid and semi-arid regions. Crops that require less irrigation water and those, which are considered drought-tolerant such as date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.), are dominant in these regions. Despite the tolerance of these crops, the development of technologies that ensure efficient use of irrigation water is imperative. Taking these issues into consideration, the study was conducted to investigate the impact of limited irrigation water using a new subsurface irrigation system (SSI) on gas exchange, chlorophyll content, water use efficiency, water productivity, fruit physicochemical characteristics, and yield of date palm (cv. Sheshi). The impact of the SSI system was compared with two surface irrigation systems, namely, surface drip irrigation (SDI) and surface bubbler irrigation (SBI). The field experiment was carried out during 2018 and 2019 at the Date Palm Research Center of Excellence, King Faisal University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The annual crop evapotranspiration (ETc) was 2544 mm. The applied irrigation water was set at 50%, 75%, and 125% of ETc for SSI, SDI, and SBI, respectively, which were based on the higher crop water productivity recorded in an initial field study. The total annual volume of water applied for SSI, SDI, and SBI was 22.89, 34.34, and 57.24 m3 palm−1, respectively. The crop water productivity (CWP) at the SSI system was significantly higher, with a value of 1.15 kg m−3, compared to the SDI (0.51 kg m−3) and SBI systems (0.37 kg m−3). The photosynthetic water use efficiency (WUE) was 10.09, 9.96, and 9.56 μmol CO2 mmol−1 H2O for SSI, SBI, and SDI, respectively. The maximum chlorophyll content (62.4 SPAD) was observed in SBI, followed by SSI (58.9 SPAD) and SDI (56.9 SPAD). Similarly, net photosynthesis and the transpiration rate were significantly higher in SBI and lowest in SSI. However, the SSI system substantially increased palm yield and enhanced fruit quality. The new SSI system, through its positive impact on the efficiency of irrigation water use and enhancement on fruit yield and fruit quality of date palm, seems quite suitable for the irrigation of palm trees in arid and semi-arid regions.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 112 ◽  
Author(s):  
David K. Rop ◽  
Emmanuel C. Kipkorir ◽  
John K. Taragon

<p>The broad objective of this study was to test Deficit Irrigation (DI) as an appropriate irrigation management strategy to improve crop water productivity and give optimum onion crop yield. A field trial was conducted with drip irrigation system of six irrigation treatments replicated three times in a randomized complete block design. The crop was subjected to six water stress levels 100% ETc (T100), 90% ETc (T90), 80% ETc (T80), 70% ETc (T70), 60% ETc (T60) and 50% ETc (T50) at vegetative and late season growth stages. The onion yield and quality based on physical characteristics and irrigation water use efficiency were determined. The results indicated that the variation in yield ranged from 34.4 ton/ha to 18.9 ton/ha and the bulb size ranged from 64 mm to 35 mm in diameter for T100 and T50 respectively. Irrigation water use efficiency values decreased with increasing water application level with the highest of 16.2 kg/ha/mm at T50, and the lowest being13.1 kg/ha/mm at T100. It was concluded that DI at vegetative and late growth stages influence yields in a positive linear trend with increasing quantity of irrigation water and decreasing water stress reaching optimum yield of 32.0 ton/ha at 20% water stress (T80) thereby saving 10.7% irrigation water. Onion bulb production at this level optimizes water productivity without significantly affecting yields. DI influenced the size and size distribution of fresh onion bulbs, with low size variation of the fresh bulbs at T80.</p>


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