Irrigation response of Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.)

Abstract

Pistachio yields normally alternate between high and low values for consecutive years due to management and genetic effects. In this study, irrigated and nonirrigated treatments of old pistachio trees (Pistacia vera L.) were compared for 5 years from 1979 to 1983. Two irrigation treatments consisting of irrigation scheduling at 20-and 30-day interval were compared with the control treatment of no irrigation. Results showed that irrigation practice in pistachio orchards not only increased fruit yield, but also suppressed periodicity, the low fruit yield in alternating years. The frequent irrigation of 20-day interval nearly doubled the dry fruit yield irrespective of whether it was the off-yielding year, compared to nonirrigated control treatment.

Distribution of water loss via evapotranspiration in a pistachio tree orchard under drip irrigation and non-irrigation conditions

“…Goldhamer et al (1984) reported that water loss via ET in pistachio was 1017 mm during one irrigation season in California. Moreover, Kanber et al (1993) reported that water loss via ET in pistachio was 803 mm during one irrigation season in the region of southeastern Anatolia in Turkey. Differences in the reported levels of water loss via ET could be attributed to differences in soil and climate characteristics, and the irrigation methods used.…”

“…Irrigation water, rainfall, and moisture content were measured, and other components were assumed to be zero in the irrigation treatment due to the lack of rainfall (Kanber et al 1993).…”

“…Clearly, root geometry was positively affected by subsurface irrigation, which kept the upper profile zone dry, eliminating root development in that area of high inoculums. Kanber et al (1993) reported that root activity under flood irrigation treatment every 20 days was lower at shallower soil depth, as compared to flood irrigation treatment every 30 days. On the other hand, Spiegel-Roy et al (1977) observed that root distribution in pistachio trees was uniform at the soil depths ≤ 240 cm.…”

“…Monastra et al (1997) reported irrigating pistachio improves trunk development, and increases the number and size of inflorescences. In addition, Kanber et al (1993) and Goldhamer et al (1985) reported that pistachio yield increased in response to irrigation, and Öz-men (2002) observed that pistachio yield increased by 67% under irrigation conditions, as compared to non-irrigation conditions in southeast Anatolia. In the San Joaquin Valley of California midsummer water loss via evapotranspiration (ET) (June-August) was 7.5 mm on average for clean cultivated mature pistachio trees (Goldhamer et al 1985).…”

Improvement of regulated deficit irrigation in pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) : water relations and rootstocks influence

“…This evolution lifted the curtain about the fact that pistachio tree water demand is not particularly low (Goldhammer et al, 1985) and that the potential evapotranspiration rate at the maximum seasonal evaporative demand is equal or exceeds that of many other deciduous species (Goldhammer et al, 1983). Kanber et al (1993) August. This assumption was in discordance with the negative balance between water needs and its availability since the majority of pistachio producing regions were suffering an alarming continuous depletion of their water reserves and could not always sustain the tree water requirements due to the scarcity of rain and the increasing competition for fresh water.…”