Deficit Irrigation in Mediterranean Fruit Trees and Grapevines: Water Stress Indicators and Crop Responses

Abstract

In regions with Mediterranean climate, water is the major environmental resource that limits growth and production of plants, experiencing a long period of water scarcity during summer. Despite the fact that most plants developed morphological, anatomical, physiological, and biochemical mechanisms that allow to cope with such environments, these harsh summer conditions reduce growth, yield, and fruit quality. Irrigation is implemented to overcome such effects. Conditions of mild water deficit imposed by deficit irrigation strategies, with minimal effects on yield, are particularly suitable for such regions. Efficient irrigation strategies and scheduling techniques require the quantification of crop water requirements but also the identification of pertinent water stress indicators and their threshold. This chapter reviews the scientific information about deficit irrigation recommendations and thresholds concerning water stress indicators on peach trees, olive trees, and grapevines, as case studies.

Performance Assessment of Thermal Infrared Cameras of Different Resolutions to Estimate Tree Water Status from Two Cherry Cultivars: An Alternative to Midday Stem Water Potential and Stomatal Conductance

“…This lack of rain during the growing season requires the adoption of technified irrigation, such as drip irrigation, for sweet cherry production to be commercially viable [3]. Considering the current climate change scenario, where the natural supply of water has decreased, investments in technified irrigation, such as micro-sprinkler or drip irrigation systems, are required by fruit growers to face water scarcity, and to precisely control irrigation scheduling [4,5]. Currently, fruit growers are applying irrigation strategies to increase water use efficiency (WUE) and water productivity (WP), such as regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) to reduce the amount of water irrigated during the growing season and obtain certain benefits such as improving water productivity [3][4][5].…”

“…This physiological parameter has been recommended as one of the most accurate tools for irrigation management [6,7]. The use of combined soil moisture sensors with the pressure chamber to measure Ψs have been suggested as reliable tools to help decision making for irrigation scheduling in fruit trees and grapevines [5]. Cherry trees are very sensitive to mild-to-severe water stress during the fruit growing cycle, which could negatively affect the yield and quality of fruit.…”

Vineyard and Olive Orchard Management to Maintain Yield and Quality Under Abiotic Stress Conditions

“…Regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) in olive orchard is an agronomic practice in which plants were irrigated avoiding water deficit during phases I and III of olive fruit growth and saving water during phase II, the noncritical phenological period of pit hardening [91]. This strategy of irrigation can affect some table olives' characteristics, for example, phenolic composition, antioxidant activity, fatty acid composition, volatile compounds, and phytoprostanes [92].…”

The Effects of Regulated Deficit Irrigation on the Growth and Yield of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Grown in the Malkerns Area, a Region in the Kingdom of Eswatini (Southern Africa)

“…However, there is a lack of detailed information on the definition, scientific principles, or specific practices of RDI [20]. Little is known about how this technology may be practiced effectively in real-world agriculture [26].…”

“…Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is one of the most important salad vegetables of the world that is widely cultivated [27] due to the shortness of its vegetation time and its potential to return profit, nutritional value and production potential [28]. A fraction of the soil's readily available moisture (%RAM) was used as treatments, that is, the sustained deficit irrigation method [26] instead of targeting certain plant growth stages. The real challenge is to establish RDI on the basis of delivering sustained or increased crop productivity, while saving irrigation water and enhancing WUE.…”