Water consumption of greenhouse lychee trees under partial rootzone drying
- Publication Type
- Journal contribution
- Authors
- Spreer W, Hegele M, Czaczyk Z, Römheld V, Bangerth F, Müller J
- Year of publication
- 2007
- Published in
- Agricultural Engineering International: CIGR Ejournal
- Band/Volume
- IX/
- Series/labeling
- Manuscript LW 07 019
- Page (from - to)
- 1-10
http://cigr-ejournal.tamu.edu/submissions/volume9/LW%2007%20019%20Spreer%20final%2023July2007.pdf
Litchi (litchi chinensis, Sonn.) is one of the predominant fruit crops in upland areas of Northern Thailand, where it is produced during the dry season under irrigation. As water is an increasingly scarce resource on the hillsides, strategies for more efficient water use are fundamental for a sustainable increase in agricultural production. Partial rootzone drying (PRD) is an innovative irrigation technique which is presumably based on the induction of changes in the plant hormonal balance. By targeted withdrawal of irrigation water a hormonal change and chemical signals are produced, which make the plant reduce its stomatal aperture and thereby decrease water consumption.
To test the response of litchi to PRD, 30 trees were exposed to different irrigation treatments under controlled conditions. The trees were grouped in three groups with the following irrigation treatments: a.) full irrigation, b.) PRD with 50% of full irrigation, changing the irrigated sides every two weeks c.) no irrigation. The trees were watered in a three days interval. Water consumption was measured gravimetrically. Soil moisture was controlled with TDR probes. Twice a day the stomatal resistance has been measured with a portable porometer. At three dates leaf samples have been analyzed on their amount of abscisic acid (ABA) content.
It was possible to influence the hormonal balance of litchi trees in the long term by PRD, reaching a rather constant level of ABA and, thereby, alter water consumption. PRD has to be applied to bearing litchi trees in order to complete these findings by the yield component.