Impact of a Novel Water-Saving Subsurface Irrigation System on Water Productivity, Photosynthetic Characteristics, Yield, and Fruit Quality of Date Palm under Arid Conditions
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 (<i>Phoenix dactylifera</i> L.), are dominant in these regions. Despite the tolerance of these crops, the develo...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2020-08-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/10/9/1265 |
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| author | Maged Elsayed Ahmed Mohammed Mohammed Refdan Alhajhoj Hassan Muzzamil Ali-Dinar Muhammad Munir |
| author_facet | Maged Elsayed Ahmed Mohammed Mohammed Refdan Alhajhoj Hassan Muzzamil Ali-Dinar Muhammad Munir |
| author_sort | Maged Elsayed Ahmed Mohammed |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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 (<i>Phoenix dactylifera</i> 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 (ET<sub>c</sub>) was 2544 mm. The applied irrigation water was set at 50%, 75%, and 125% of ET<sub>c</sub> 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 m<sup>3</sup> palm<sup>−1</sup>, respectively. The crop water productivity (CWP) at the SSI system was significantly higher, with a value of 1.15 kg m<sup>−3</sup>, compared to the SDI (0.51 kg m<sup>−3</sup>) and SBI systems (0.37 kg m<sup>−3</sup>). The photosynthetic water use efficiency (WUE) was 10.09, 9.96, and 9.56 μmol CO<sub>2</sub> mmol<sup>−1</sup> H<sub>2</sub>O 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T16:47:19Z |
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| language | English |
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| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-f2b8388fc4a346b0a6851354c0bd95782023-11-20T11:30:46ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952020-08-01109126510.3390/agronomy10091265Impact of a Novel Water-Saving Subsurface Irrigation System on Water Productivity, Photosynthetic Characteristics, Yield, and Fruit Quality of Date Palm under Arid ConditionsMaged Elsayed Ahmed Mohammed0Mohammed Refdan Alhajhoj1Hassan Muzzamil Ali-Dinar2Muhammad Munir3Date Palm Research Center of Excellence, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi ArabiaDate Palm Research Center of Excellence, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi ArabiaDate Palm Research Center of Excellence, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi ArabiaDate Palm Research Center of Excellence, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi ArabiaWater 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 (<i>Phoenix dactylifera</i> 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 (ET<sub>c</sub>) was 2544 mm. The applied irrigation water was set at 50%, 75%, and 125% of ET<sub>c</sub> 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 m<sup>3</sup> palm<sup>−1</sup>, respectively. The crop water productivity (CWP) at the SSI system was significantly higher, with a value of 1.15 kg m<sup>−3</sup>, compared to the SDI (0.51 kg m<sup>−3</sup>) and SBI systems (0.37 kg m<sup>−3</sup>). The photosynthetic water use efficiency (WUE) was 10.09, 9.96, and 9.56 μmol CO<sub>2</sub> mmol<sup>−1</sup> H<sub>2</sub>O 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.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/10/9/1265date palmcrop water productivitysubsurface irrigationsurface drip irrigationbubbler irrigationwater use efficiency |
| spellingShingle | Maged Elsayed Ahmed Mohammed Mohammed Refdan Alhajhoj Hassan Muzzamil Ali-Dinar Muhammad Munir Impact of a Novel Water-Saving Subsurface Irrigation System on Water Productivity, Photosynthetic Characteristics, Yield, and Fruit Quality of Date Palm under Arid Conditions Agronomy date palm crop water productivity subsurface irrigation surface drip irrigation bubbler irrigation water use efficiency |
| title | Impact of a Novel Water-Saving Subsurface Irrigation System on Water Productivity, Photosynthetic Characteristics, Yield, and Fruit Quality of Date Palm under Arid Conditions |
| title_full | Impact of a Novel Water-Saving Subsurface Irrigation System on Water Productivity, Photosynthetic Characteristics, Yield, and Fruit Quality of Date Palm under Arid Conditions |
| title_fullStr | Impact of a Novel Water-Saving Subsurface Irrigation System on Water Productivity, Photosynthetic Characteristics, Yield, and Fruit Quality of Date Palm under Arid Conditions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of a Novel Water-Saving Subsurface Irrigation System on Water Productivity, Photosynthetic Characteristics, Yield, and Fruit Quality of Date Palm under Arid Conditions |
| title_short | Impact of a Novel Water-Saving Subsurface Irrigation System on Water Productivity, Photosynthetic Characteristics, Yield, and Fruit Quality of Date Palm under Arid Conditions |
| title_sort | impact of a novel water saving subsurface irrigation system on water productivity photosynthetic characteristics yield and fruit quality of date palm under arid conditions |
| topic | date palm crop water productivity subsurface irrigation surface drip irrigation bubbler irrigation water use efficiency |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/10/9/1265 |
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