Water relations and yield of lysimeter-grown strawberries under limited irrigation

Abstract

The effects of partial root-zone drying (PRD), as compared to deficit irrigation (DI) and full irrigation (FI), on strawberry (cv. Honeoye) berry yield, yield components and irrigation water use efficiency (WUE I ) were investigated in a field lysimeter under an automatic rain-out shelter. The irrigation treatments were imposed from the beginning of flowering to the end of fruit maturity. In FI the whole root zone was irrigated every second day to field capacity viz. volumetric soil water content (u) of 20%; while in DI and PRD 60% water of FI was irrigated to either the whole or onehalf of the root system, respectively, at each irrigation event. In PRD, irrigation was shifted from one side to the other side of the plants when u of the drying side had decreased to 8-11%. Compared to FI plants, leaf water potential was significantly lower in DI and PRD plants in 3 out of 10 measurement occasions, while stomatal conductance was similar among the three treatments. Leaf area, fresh berry yield (FY), individual berry fresh weight, berry water content, and berry dry weight (DW) were significantly lower in DI and PRD plants than those of FI plants; whereas the total number of berry per plant was similar among treatments. Compared with FI, the DI and PRD treatments saved 40% of irrigation water, and this led to a 28 and 50% increase of WUE I based on berry FY and DW, respectively, for both DI and PRD. Conclusively, under the conditions of this study PRD had no advantage compared to DI in terms of berry yield and WUE I . DI and PRD similarly decreased berry yield and yield components and thus cannot be recommended under similar conditions.

Role of inoculation with multi-trait rhizobacteria on strawberries under water deficit stress

“…Previous studies also showed that fruits from strawberry plants that received full irrigation had a higher water content and greater berry fresh weight than fruits from plants grown under reduced irrigation (Liu et al, 2007;Terry et al, 2007;Bordonaba, Terry, 2010;Ipek et al, 2014). Water stress has a great influence on the plant photosynthetic capacity of strawberry (Mao et al, 2009).…”

“…On the other hand, to limit the amounts of water used for several horticultural crops, water deficit irrigation has been seen as a potential alternative for new cultivation systems (Bordonaba, Terry, 2010). In strawberry plants regulated deficit irrigation technique is generally associated with reduction in fruit size and yield; (Liu et al, 2007). Despite this fact, other attributes, related to fruit quality increased (Terry et al, 2007;Heiadari, Golpayegani, 2012).…”

Proline, Sugars, and Antioxidant Enzymes Respond to Drought Stress in the Leaves of Strawberry Plants

“…A rapid decrease of leaf water potential was found in pot-grown strawberry plants under water deficit (Blanke and Cooke, 2006). In field studies, fruit yields of strawberry failed under soil waterdeficit conditions (Krüger et al, 2002;Liu et al, 2007;Terry et al, 2007;Kim et al, 2007). Previous reports found many changes in physiology and biochemistry of strawberry in response to stress.…”

Manipulating the taste-related composition of strawberry fruits (Fragaria×ananassa) from different cultivars using deficit irrigation

“…DI, also known as regulated deficit irrigation (RDI), is an irrigation technique whereby crops are exposed to lower amounts of water and the minor stress experienced by the plant is expected to have a minimal effect on the yield (English & Raja, 1996). In strawberry plants, however, this technique (DI) is generally associated with reduction in fruit size and yield (Blatt, 1984;Krüger et al, 1999;Liu et al, 2007;Serrano, Carbonell, Savé, Marfà, & Peñuelas, 1992). Nevertheless, a recent study demonstrated that DI of strawberry cv.…”