dc.contributor.author | Ntshidi, Zanele | |
dc.contributor.author | Dzikiti, Sebinatsi | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2024-08-13T11:27:44Z | |
dc.date.available | 2024-08-13T11:27:44Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2023 | |
dc.identifier.citation | Ntshidi, Z., Dzikiti, S., Mazvimavi, D. and Mobe, N.T., 2023. Effect of different irrigation systems on water use partitioning and plant water relations of apple trees growing on deep sandy soils in the Mediterranean climatic conditions, South Africa. Scientia Horticulturae, 317, p.112066. | en_US |
dc.identifier.uri | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2023.112066 | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10566/9423 | |
dc.description.abstract | All commercial apple fruit (Malus Domestica (Borkh) exported from semi-arid regions are grown under irrigation
with drip and micro sprinkler systems being the most widely used. Few studies have directly compared the
physiological responses of fruit trees to these systems in detail leading to uncertainties around their performance.
This study investigated variations in transpiration rates, tree water status, growth, water use partitioning, fruit
yield and quality for trees growing on deep sandy soils under these two systems. Data were collected in a mature
Royal Gala orchard in South Africa over three growing seasons. Tree transpiration was quantified using the heat
ratio method of monitoring sap flow while the soil water balance approach was used to derive the evapotranspiration (ET) rates. Leaf level results showed that one day after irrigation on hot dry days, the stomatal
conductance was, on average, almost double for trees under micro than those under drip irrigation. There was
more stress under drip with the minimum midday leaf water potential dropping to under -1.80 MPa compared to
only around -1.20 MPa under micro sprinklers. Consequently, the tree transpiration per unit leaf area was
substantially higher under micro sprinkler (2.9 L/m2
/d) compared to 2.3 L/m2
/d under drip (P ≤ 0.05). Canopy
growth was slower under drip with peak leaf area index (LAI) around 2.1 compared to 2.7 under the micro
sprinkler system. The micro sprinkler system had a more active ground cover than the drip. At peak canopy cover
in summer, up to 28% of ET was derived from the orchard floor under micro compared to only 15% under drip.
However, fruit size and fruit quality were lower under drip compared to micro sprinkler irrigated trees. The study
highlights that while water savings are high under drip irrigated orchards on sandy soils, trees tend to experience
considerable water stress culminating in smaller fruit of compromised quality. | en_US |
dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
dc.publisher | Elsevier GmbH | en_US |
dc.subject | evaporation | en_US |
dc.subject | fruit quality | en_US |
dc.subject | fruit yield | en_US |
dc.subject | soil water content | en_US |
dc.subject | transpiration | en_US |
dc.title | Effect of different irrigation systems | en_US |
dc.type | Article | en_US |