Water requirement and yield of fig trees under different drip irrigation management

Abstract

This work aimed to study the effect of drip irrigation management on growth and yield of the 'Roxo de Valinhos' fig tree (Ficus carica L.), at three years old, and to determine crop coefficients (Kc) and its water requirement (ETc) under Baixada Fluminense climate and soil conditions, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The study was carried out in the experimental area of SIPA (Sistema Integrado de Produção Agroecológica) in Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro State, from July 2011 to May 2012. The experimental area was divided in two blocks, named B1 (sandy clay loam texture) and B2 (loamy sand texture). In each block, irrigation frequencies (IF) of two (T1) and four days (T2) were evaluated, as well as the irrigation absence (T3). Irrigation management and water consumption determination were performed through the soil water balance, using the TDR technique. Plant growth was not affected by IF, differing only in the number of produced internodes. For both soil textures, the mean Kc was 0.60, with a significant difference (p<0.05) only for IF. The estimated mean yield showed no significant differences between both textural classes, ranging from 6,612 kg ha-1 (T3) to 8,554 kg ha-1 (T1). This study indicates the importance of irrigation frequency in the irrigation management of fig trees cultivated in soils with different physical characteristics.

Nutrient uptake, growth and yield of pomegranate as influenced by irrigation frequencies under light textured soils

“…During initial year of plantation, irrigation frequency has little influence on growth parameters. Similar types of results were reported in pomegranate (Chopade and Gorantiwar, 1998) and fig (Andrade ., 2014) where irrigation methods and frequencies did not have much influence on the plant growth during initial years. During the year 2011-12 and 2012-13, maximum increase in plant height and plant spread was observed in 1 day followed by 2 days irrigation interval treatment.…”

Updated single and dual crop coefficients for tree and vine fruit crops

“…The water requirements of fig trees (Ficus Carica L.) were studied in Brazil by Andrade et al (2014) and Souza et al (2014) using the SWB approach in drip irrigated orchards. The experiment presented by Andrade et al (2014) consisted of two irrigation treatments with different watering frequencies scheduled to avoid water stress. The K c mid resulted higher for the high irrigation frequency.…”

Combined Effects of Climate and Pests on Fig (Ficus carica L.) Yield in a Mediterranean Region: Implications for Sustainable Agricultural Strategies

“…The model assessing factors that correlate with yield showed a positive effect of precipitation, but a negative effect on the total number of pests per commune. Experimental studies showed that the absence of irrigation reduced yield considerably [73][74][75] (e.g., a 27% decline in non-irrigated treatment compared to a two-day intervals irrigation regime [76]). Therefore, a decrease in precipitation during recent years could in part explain the decline in fig yield in Bejaïa, especially since precipitation was negatively correlated with temperature, revealing that dry years were also warmer.…”