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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Production and Genetic Improvement Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #392508
Research Project: Water and Nutrient Management for Sustainable Production of Small Fruit and Nursery Crops

Location: Horticultural Crops Production and Genetic Improvement Research Unit

Title: Agricultural water footprint for southern highbush blueberry produced commercially with drip irrigation and sprinkler frost protection

Author
item PANNUNZIO, ALEJANDRO - University Of Buenos Aires
item HOLZAPFEL, EDUARDO - University Of Concepcion
item CIRELLI, A. FERNANDEZ - University Of Buenos Aires
item TEXERIA, PAMELA - University Of Buenos Aires
item SOUTO, CAMILO - University Of Buenos Aires
item Bryla, David

Submitted to: Agricultural Sciences
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/28/2023
Publication Date: 1/31/2023
Citation: Pannunzio, A., Holzapfel, E., Cirelli, A., Texeria, P., Souto, C., Bryla, D.R. 2023. Agricultural water footprint for southern highbush blueberry produced commercially with drip irrigation and sprinkler frost protection. Agricultural Sciences. 14(1):114-128. https://doi.org/10.4236/as.2023.141008.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/as.2023.141008

Interpretive Summary: A “water footprint,” defined as the amount of water necessary to produce a unit of a particular product, is a means to evaluate utilization of freshwater resources for human activities, including agriculture. A study was conducted from 2010 to 2017 to determine the water footprint for producing southern highbush blueberries. Three important cultivars were evaluated, including ‘Star’, ‘Emerald’, and ‘Snowchaser’. In each case, the plants were irrigated by drip and protected from frost using overhead sprinklers. The annual water footprint, which included water use from rain, drip irrigation, and sprinklers for frost protection, differed among the cultivars and ranged from 25-69 gallons of water to produce a pound of berries in ‘Star’, 35-118 gallons of water to produce a pound of berries in ‘Emerald’, and 64–487 gallons of water to produce a pound of berries in ‘Snowchaser’. ‘Snowchaser’ bloomed at the beginning of winter and required more water for frost protection than ‘Emerald’ and ‘Star’, which bloomed later. ‘Star’, on the other hand, lost most of its leaves during the winter, flowered late, and consequently used the least amount of water among the cultivars. Irrigation designers could use this information to quantify water requirements for each cultivar and allocate water for irrigation and frost protection, accordingly.

Technical Abstract: A study was conducted from 2010 to 2017 to determine the water footprint for producing blueberries in the Entre Rios province of Argentina. Three cultivars of southern highbush blueberry (hybrid cross of Vaccinium sp.) were evaluated in the study, including ‘Star’, ‘Emerald’, and ‘Snowchaser’. In each case, the plants were irrigated by drip and protected from frost using overhead sprinklers. Water requirements for irrigation and frost protection varied among the cultivars due to differences in the timing of flowering and fruit development. The annual water footprint for fruit production in each cultivar ranged from 212-578 cubic meters per tonne for ‘Star’, 296-985 cubic meters per tonne for ‘Emerald’, and 536-4066 cubic meters per tonne for ‘Snowchaser’. ‘Snowchaser’ flowered earlier than the other cultivars and, therefore, needed more water for frost protection. ‘Star’, on the other hand, ripened the latest among the cultivars and required little to no water for frost protection. Frost protection required a minimum of 30 cubic meters of water per hour per hectare and in addition to drip irrigation was a major component of the water footprint.