Towards a better understanding of crop water requirement in orchards: a case study from the Goulburn Valley

Abstract

Responses of fruit trees to reduced irrigation in micro-irrigated peach and apple orchards in the Goulburn Valley, Victoria were investigated during the 2000-01 season. Field experiments examined the effects of applying 2 irrigation levels on soil water content, crop water relations, vegetative growth, yield, yield components and fruit quality. Irrigation regimes were 50% and 100% of current management practice where inputs are scheduled from pan evaporation and locally derived crop coefficients. Water was applied to only one side of the tree rootzone in the 50% treatment (0.5I) while the current management practice treatment (1.0I), received water on both sides of the tree. Over the season,..