PEACH DEFICIT IRRIGATION. FRUIT YIELD AND WATER USE EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to study the effect of different deficit irrigation strategies on water relations, fruit quality, yield, and water use efficiency of peach trees (Prunus persica L.). This assay was established during 2007 at an experimental station in Santomera, Murcia, Spain, with var. ‘Flordastar’, growing under drip irrigation. The evaluated treatments were: T1, control with daily irrigation equivalent to 120 % of the crop evapotranspiration (ETc); T2, restricted irrigation on the whole cycle (50 % of ETc); T3, restricted irrigation during the post-harvest period (rest of the cycle normal irrigation); and T4, an automated threshold irrigation at a maximum of 10 % of field capacity. Experimental design was completed randomized with four replications (within a row of 13 trees per replication). Water use efficiency (kg of fruit per m^-3 of ET water) was determined by relating fruit yield and real evapotrans-piration (ETr). Results showed that T1 had the lowest (P ≤ 0.05) water use efficiency with 2.1, compared to T4 with 2.8. Treatments T2 and T3 were also higher (P ≤ 0.05) than T1, with values of 2.7 and 3.0, respectively. These results show trees are able to adjust to changes in water management, keeping and even improving water use efficiency.