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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fort Collins, Colorado » Center for Agricultural Resources Research » Water Management and Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #327388
Title: Influence of irrigation scheduling using thermometry on peach tree water status under different irrigation systems

Author
item Zhang, Huihui
item Wang, Dong

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/11/2016
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Remotely-sensed canopy temperature from infrared thermometer (IRT) sensors has long been shown to be effective for detecting plant water stress. To help alleviate water shortage, a field study was conducted at the USDA ARS San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center in Parlier, California USA to develop and validate algorithms for determining levels of water stress and scheduling postharvest deficit irrigation for peach trees using canopy temperature. The experimental site consisted of a 1.6 ha early maturing peach tree orchard, and a total of 18 IRT sensors were used to control six irrigation treatments including furrow, surface drip, and micro spray irrigation systems with and without postharvest deficit irrigation. During the postharvest period in the 2012-2013 and 2103-2014 growing seasons, midday stem water potentials (') for well irrigated trees were maintained at a range of -0.5 to -1.0 MPa while ' of deficit irrigated trees dropped to extremely low values. Soil water contents at deeper depths were relatively lower for surface drip irrigation plots compared to furrow and micro spray irrigation plots. The number of fruits and fruit weights from peach trees under postharvest deficit irrigation treatments were less than for well irrigated trees; however, no statistically significant (at the p<0.05 level) reduction in fruit size or quality was found for trees irrigated by surface drip and micro spray irrigation systems. At least a 50% water savings was realized by using deficit irrigation during postharvest seasons. Our results suggest the feasibility of using IRT to control full and deficit irrigation for early maturing peach trees.