Irrigation scheduling of an early maturing peach cultivar using tensiometers and diurnal changes in stem diameter.

摘要

In peach orchards, it is difficult to judge precisely how much and when water should be applied. In comparison with the crop evapotranspiration method, soil and plant based methods provide potential alternatives for irrigation scheduling. Therefore,two such methods were tested to assess the effect of their use on fruit yield and quality for an early maturing peach cultivar. An homogeneous experimental orchard of Royal Glory situated near Valence, Rhone Valley, France, was divided in two halves; inone half, irrigation was scheduled according to tensiometer measurements, and, in the other half, according to micromorphometer measurements. Compared to the tensiometric method, irrigation according to the micromorphometric method induced a significantreduction of the amount of applied water over 4 years (without affecting yield and average fruit weight), tended to enhance fruit total soluble solids, to decrease heterogeneity of fruit diameters within individual trees, and to reduce the peach tree trunk cross-sectional areas. Thus, water restriction in the orchard improved quality and therefore marketable value of peach production. The micromorphometric method appeared well suited for optimizing irrigation scheduling in peach orchards. Taking theseresults into account, the tensiometric method has to be improved to be more adapted to peach water needs.