Changes in Drip Irrigation Water Distribution Patterns Improve Fruit Quality and Economic Water Productivity in Early-Season Lemon Trees
The physiological and agronomic responses of two irrigation systems were compared in ‘Fino 49′ lemon trees (<i>Citrus limon</i> [L.] Burm. fil.). The irrigation systems consisted of different designs of the irrigation installation (same amount of water and irrigation frequency): a conven...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/6/1519 |
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| author | Juan Miguel Robles José García-García Josefa María Navarro Pablo Botía Juan Gabriel Pérez-Pérez |
| author_facet | Juan Miguel Robles José García-García Josefa María Navarro Pablo Botía Juan Gabriel Pérez-Pérez |
| author_sort | Juan Miguel Robles |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The physiological and agronomic responses of two irrigation systems were compared in ‘Fino 49′ lemon trees (<i>Citrus limon</i> [L.] Burm. fil.). The irrigation systems consisted of different designs of the irrigation installation (same amount of water and irrigation frequency): a conventional design (2L, two drip lines with six drippers per tree), and a design with a larger wetted surface (3L, implementing the conventional design with a third drip line with nine drippers per tree). Results indicated that the 3L design promoted a better distribution of water and fertilisers in the soil profile, improving some gas-exchange parameters in periods of low evaporative demand or after rain. The agronomic response showed two main effects on fruit quality: (1) the total numer of fruits affected by <i>endoxerosis</i> was reduced, and (2) the first harvest (the earliest fruits harvested) moved forward in time. From an economic point of view, economic water productivity was increased, mainly due to an increment in the proportion of first-harvested lemon, but also due to the decrease in lemon produced for the industry (affected by <i>endoxerosis</i>). The 3L irrigation system could be an interesting alternative to favour fruit precocity, improving the use of the available water resources for early lemon tree growers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:52:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c8057daea885400f9daf393ee14458e7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:52:08Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-c8057daea885400f9daf393ee14458e72023-11-18T08:54:22ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952023-05-01136151910.3390/agronomy13061519Changes in Drip Irrigation Water Distribution Patterns Improve Fruit Quality and Economic Water Productivity in Early-Season Lemon TreesJuan Miguel Robles0José García-García1Josefa María Navarro2Pablo Botía3Juan Gabriel Pérez-Pérez4Equipo de Riego y Fisiología del Estrés, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Medioambiental (IMIDA), 30150 La Alberca, Region of Murcia, SpainEquipo de Bioeconomía, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Medioambiental (IMIDA), 30150 La Alberca, Region of Murcia, SpainEquipo de Riego y Fisiología del Estrés, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Medioambiental (IMIDA), 30150 La Alberca, Region of Murcia, SpainEquipo de Riego y Fisiología del Estrés, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Medioambiental (IMIDA), 30150 La Alberca, Region of Murcia, SpainEquipo de Riego y Fisiología del Estrés, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Medioambiental (IMIDA), 30150 La Alberca, Region of Murcia, SpainThe physiological and agronomic responses of two irrigation systems were compared in ‘Fino 49′ lemon trees (<i>Citrus limon</i> [L.] Burm. fil.). The irrigation systems consisted of different designs of the irrigation installation (same amount of water and irrigation frequency): a conventional design (2L, two drip lines with six drippers per tree), and a design with a larger wetted surface (3L, implementing the conventional design with a third drip line with nine drippers per tree). Results indicated that the 3L design promoted a better distribution of water and fertilisers in the soil profile, improving some gas-exchange parameters in periods of low evaporative demand or after rain. The agronomic response showed two main effects on fruit quality: (1) the total numer of fruits affected by <i>endoxerosis</i> was reduced, and (2) the first harvest (the earliest fruits harvested) moved forward in time. From an economic point of view, economic water productivity was increased, mainly due to an increment in the proportion of first-harvested lemon, but also due to the decrease in lemon produced for the industry (affected by <i>endoxerosis</i>). The 3L irrigation system could be an interesting alternative to favour fruit precocity, improving the use of the available water resources for early lemon tree growers.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/6/1519irrigation systemwater relations<i>endoxerosis</i>plant nutritionyieldfruit quality |
| spellingShingle | Juan Miguel Robles José García-García Josefa María Navarro Pablo Botía Juan Gabriel Pérez-Pérez Changes in Drip Irrigation Water Distribution Patterns Improve Fruit Quality and Economic Water Productivity in Early-Season Lemon Trees Agronomy irrigation system water relations <i>endoxerosis</i> plant nutrition yield fruit quality |
| title | Changes in Drip Irrigation Water Distribution Patterns Improve Fruit Quality and Economic Water Productivity in Early-Season Lemon Trees |
| title_full | Changes in Drip Irrigation Water Distribution Patterns Improve Fruit Quality and Economic Water Productivity in Early-Season Lemon Trees |
| title_fullStr | Changes in Drip Irrigation Water Distribution Patterns Improve Fruit Quality and Economic Water Productivity in Early-Season Lemon Trees |
| title_full_unstemmed | Changes in Drip Irrigation Water Distribution Patterns Improve Fruit Quality and Economic Water Productivity in Early-Season Lemon Trees |
| title_short | Changes in Drip Irrigation Water Distribution Patterns Improve Fruit Quality and Economic Water Productivity in Early-Season Lemon Trees |
| title_sort | changes in drip irrigation water distribution patterns improve fruit quality and economic water productivity in early season lemon trees |
| topic | irrigation system water relations <i>endoxerosis</i> plant nutrition yield fruit quality |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/6/1519 |
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