Author
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Abdul Baki, Aref |
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Submitted to: International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 5/20/2004 Publication Date: 5/29/2004 Citation: Abdul Baki, A.A. 2004. Management of water and soil in date palm orchards of the coachella valley. Abstracts of the Proceedings of the Regional Workshop on Date Palm Development in the Arabian Peninsula. p. 16. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: The Date palm (Pheonix dactyliphera) occupies as area of approximately 6240 acres of land in Southeast California. About 90% of the acreage is in the Coachella Valley and 10% is in Bard, Arizona. The date palm was introduced into the Western Hemisphere during the early 20th century. During the induction period, over 100 varieties were evaluated for adaptability and performance. Present major varieties include Deglet Noor, Mejhool, Khadrawi, and Zahidi. Annual rainfall in the date production area averages about three inches. Consequently, all orchards are irrigated by water from the Colorado river. The two commonly used methods for water delivery are basin flood irrigation and drip irrigation. Water management is governed by many important factors including orchard age, availability of water, and soil properties including salinity, texture, stratification and compaction. These factors impact tree vigor, yield and fruit quality. |
