Matric potential-based irrigation management of field-grown strawberry: Effects on yield and water use efficiency

Abstract

a b s t r a c tEffective and adapted criteria for irrigation scheduling are required to improve yield and water use efficiency (WUE) and reduce the environmental impacts associated with water and nutrients losses by runoff and leaching. In this study, field-scale experiments were conducted at four commercial strawberry production sites with contrasting soil and climatic conditions. Within each site, the influence of different soil matric potential-based irrigation thresholds (IT) on yield and WUE was evaluated. Matric potentialbased irrigation management was also compared with common irrigation practices used by producers in each site's respective areas. At Site 1 (silty clay loam; humid continental (Dfb) climate), an IT of −15 kPa improved yields by 6.2% without any additional use of water relative to common irrigation practices. At Site 2, with similar soil and climatic conditions, the irrigation treatments did not affect yield and the matric potential-based management decreased WUE relative to common practices. However, the results suggested that maintaining the soil matric potential lower than −9 kPa could induce stressing conditions for the plants. At Site 3 (sandy loam; Mediterranean (Cs) climate), the best yield and WUE were obtained with an IT of −8 kPa and suggested that WUE could be further improved by implementing high-frequency irrigation. At Site 4 (clay loam; Mediterranean (Cs) climate), results suggested that an IT between −10 and −15 kPa could optimize yield and WUE, and matric potential-based irrigation considerably reduced leaching under the root zone relative to common practices. Considering the results from all sites, an IT of −10 kPa appears to be adequate as a starting point for further optimizing irrigation under most field conditions.

Irrigation Management Scale and Water Application Method to Improve Yield and Water Productivity of Field-Grown Strawberries

“…For all treatments, irrigation was initiated when a predefined irrigation threshold of −18 kPa was reached at a depth of 15 cm. This threshold was selected based on the results of previous studies at nearby sites [10,16]. Detailed information about the irrigation initiation and adjustment of irrigation duration is provided in Létourneau et al [10].…”

“…This system has a potential water application efficiency of 85% to 90%. However, the efficiency can be limited by the effects of: (1) Spatio-temporal variability in soil properties and plant water requirements [5][6][7][8], (2) moisture distribution patterns of the irrigation system [9], and (3) the use of inadequate irrigation management criteria [10].…”

Integral Management of Irrigation Water in Intensive Horticultural Systems of Almería

“…From a practical point of view, the use of tensiometers requires the determination of the optimal matric potential for each crop and growing conditions in order to optimize water and nutrient use efficiency as reported by Buttaro et al and Letourneau et al [38,39]. Related to this, there is a lot of research being carried out under greenhouse conditions in Almería.…”

Nitrogen Related Diffuse Pollution from Horticulture Production—Mitigation Practices and Assessment Strategies

“…The utility of tensiometers in fine-textured soils is limited due to the range of detection; thus, tensiometers are practical in sandy or coarse-textured soils. Details about the use of tensiometers to schedule the irrigation of vegetable crops are provided by several authors, e.g., [99][100][101][102]. SMP thresholds for several vegetables produced in a variety of soil types are also provided [98].…”