Cyclic Microirrigation in Container-grown Landscape Plants Improves Plant Growth and Water Conservation

Abstract

Four tree (Acer rubrum L., Ulmus alata Michx., Quercus virginiana Mill, and Lagerstroemia indica L.) and two landscape shrub species (Rhododendron indicum L. ‘Formosa’ and Elaeagnus pungens Thunb.) were grown in 10-liter (#3) polyethylene containers. Plants were irrigated with overhead impact sprinklers (control) or with individual low volume spray stakes. Microirrigated treatments consisted of same or double volume per day per container as controls applied as one to three cyclic subvolumes. Shrub growth was seldom influenced by irrigation treatment. Xeric tree species (U. alata and Q. virginiana) grew as well with single volumes applied in 2 cycles as double volumes applied in 3 cycles; both produced significantly larger trees than the control. Mesic species (A. rubrum and L. indica) irrigated with double volumes in 3 cycles produced the largest trees that were significantly larger than single volume microirrigated or control trees. Growth of single cycle, single volume trees (overhead and microirrigation) was equivalent; thus, growth effects were due to cycling, not microirrigation. With commercially representative container spacings used, superior trees were produced with cycled microirrigation using 25% (xeric) or 50% (mesic) of the water volume per area applied through the overhead sprinkler. Further aspects of irrigation requirements and water efficiency are discussed.

Survey of Container Nursery Irrigation Practices in West-central Florida: An Educational Opportunity

“…Cyclic irrigation has been reported to have many advantages over non-cyclic or single application irrigation. This method of irrigation has been shown to decrease the volume of irrigation runoff by 30% (Fare et al, 1994) and increase tree growth and irrigation effi ciency (Beeson Jr. and Haydu, 1995). About 42% of the nurseries used cyclic irrigation with overhead systems and 47% of the nurseries reported using cyclic irrigation with microirrigation systems.…”

Water and Nutrient Management in the Production of Container‐Grown Ornamentals

“…The problem is that published BMP recommendations are necessarily general and are designed to give commonsense guidelines for nurseries to improve irrigation and nutrient management rather than provide information on specific practices. More specific BMPs reflect current scientific knowledge and, if used in combination, have been shown to demonstrably reduce the impact of excessive water and nutrient applications to nursery and greenhouse operations, for example, cyclic irrigation (Beeson and Haydu 1995;Tyler et al 1996a,b), calcined clay amendments (Owen 2006;Owen et al 2008), and recycling and remediation of containment water (Taylor et al 2005;Vymazal 2007;White 2007). For a more extensive list of irrigation best management practices, see Environmental Protection Agency (1993); Waskom (1994); Fain et al (1999); Fain et al (2000), and Mostaghimi et al (2001).…”

Water Use and Treatment in Container-Grown Specialty Crop Production: A Review

“…Crop water use efficiency, defined as the water volume required to produce a given dry mass of yield, and water use reduction can be accomplished in part by breeding for drought tolerance (Bolaños and Edmeades 1996 ; Cattivelli et al 2008 ), but growers must also conserve water through irrigation and other management practices (Beeson et al 2004 ; Beeson and Haydu 1995 ; Biernbaum 1992 ; Fereres et al 2003 ; Fulcher et al 2016 ; Lea-Cox 2012 ; Lea-Cox et al 2013 ; Mathers et al 2005 ; Pershey et al 2015 ; Warsaw et al 2009a ). Increased crop water use efficiency can be achieved via precise water quantity delivery to the container (e.g., sensor or climate modeling-based approaches) based on crop-based demand to limit leaching from over-irrigation.…”