Abstract
In arid and semiarid Mediterranean agro-ecosystems, where the surface area of almonds grown under irrigation is increasing each year, technicians and growers demand operative tools and practices which aid in using limited irrigation water resources more efficiently. A field experiment was carried out during two growing seasons in southeast Spain to assess the crop growth, the crop water requirements, and the productive response of young almond trees irrigated using both surface (DI) and subsurface (SDI) drip-irrigation systems. In this experiment we used the FAO56 methodology to determine the irrigation scheduling. Several crop growth samples, crop water status samples, and soil moisture measurements were collected during both cropping seasons. In addition, each treatment had two towers equipped with a set of thermal infrared broad-band radiometers to measure both soil and canopy temperatures which allowed us to estimate the crop evapotranspiration (ETc), tree transpiration (Tc), and soil evaporation (Es), using a simplified version of the Two Source Energy Balance (STSEB) approach. SDI resulted in water savings of around 12% in comparison with the SDI, and there were not significant differences on yield, tree growth and tree water status between the two irrigation systems. The midday stem water potential (Ψstem) was related with the measured soil water content, showing us that a depletion of up to 45-50% of the total available water would maintain good water status (Ψstem≥-1.0 MPa) in almond trees. These encouraging results suggest that SDI is a suitable alternative for reducing the non-productive water use resulting in water savings and maintaining the crop yield in almond orchards.
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Claims 5
Claim · model-written summary
Subsurface drip irrigation saved around 12% water compared with surface drip irrigation in young almond trees.
- Taxon
- almond
Prunus dulcise6 - Treatment
- subsurface (SDI) drip-irrigation systemse1
- Outcome
- water savingse0
- Direction
- decreaseinferrede0
- Value
- 12%e0
- Comparator
- surface (DI)e1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“SDI resulted in water savings of around 12% in comparison with the SDI”
e1“surface (DI) and subsurface (SDI) drip-irrigation systems”
e6“the productive response of young almond trees”
Claim · model-written summary
Subsurface and surface drip irrigation gave no significant difference in yield, tree growth or tree water status in young almond trees.
- Taxon
- almondPrunus dulcise6
- Treatment
- subsurface (SDI) drip-irrigation systemse1
- Outcome
- yield, tree growth and tree water statuse2
- Direction
- no_changeinferrede2
- Comparator
- surface (DI)e1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“surface (DI) and subsurface (SDI) drip-irrigation systems”
e2“there were not significant differences on yield, tree growth and tree water status between the two irrigation systems”
e6“the productive response of young almond trees”
Claim · model-written summary
In young almond trees, midday stem water potential was related to measured soil water content.
- Taxon
- almondPrunus dulcise6
- Treatment
- measured soil water contente3
- Outcome
- midday stem water potentiale3
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e3“The midday stem water potential (Ψstem) was related with the measured soil water content”
e6“the productive response of young almond trees”
Claim · model-written summary
Almond trees keep good water status if soil water depletion stays at up to 45-50% of total available water.
- Taxon
- almond treesPrunus dulcise4
- Outcome
- a depletion of up to 45-50% of the total available watere4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“a depletion of up to 45-50% of the total available water would maintain good water status (Ψstem≥-1.0 MPa) in almond trees”
Claim · model-written summary
Subsurface drip irrigation is recommended as a suitable alternative for reducing non-productive water use while maintaining almond yield.
- Taxon
- almondPrunus dulcise5
- Outcome
- reducing the non-productive water usee5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“SDI is a suitable alternative for reducing the non-productive water use resulting in water savings and maintaining the crop yield in almond orchards”
The same questions in other papers
irrigation · physiology: water · Prunus dulcis (almond)Positive and negative results
3 papers in the same direction as this paper · 6 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
- positive
6 papers more in this group
See all 10 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.