EFFECTS OF WATER HARVESTING TECHNIQUES AND USING HUMIC ACID ON SOIL MOISTURE, PLANT EVAPORATION, GROWTH AND YIELD IN PISTACHIO ORCHARDS IN SOUTHEASTERN OF TURKEY

摘要

As a result of climate change and drought is the one of serious problems for human beings. Drought conditions often provide too little water to support food crops, through either natural precipitation or irrigation using reserve water supplies. All living things must have water to survive. The most important natural resource in the dry environments is rainfall. Despite its scarcity, rainfall is generally poorly managed, and much of it is lost through runoff and evaporation. Water harvesting is the way of success to making better of rainwater for agricultural purposes.This study was carried on pistachio orchard at the age of yield in arid conditions in Southeastern Anatolia region of Turkey. In this study, it was aimed to collect and evaluate rainwater at plant root zone by some water harvesting techniques at sloping and semi-arid areas where pistachio is cultivated in 2009 and 2010 water year. Water harvesting techniques of semicircular bunds and stone terraces are used to increase the amount of soil moisture and plant evaporation. The results shown that, the best plant evaporation, soil moisture storage and the highest increase of tree trunk diameter, and shoots length and yield was determined from water harvesting with humic acid applications.