Abdolhamid Mohebi; Majid Alihouri
Abstract
In recent years, larg parts of agricultural lands in the country have been at the risk of degradation because of quantative and qualitative limitations of water resources and soil salinization. Therefore, to increase plant yield per unit of consumed water, proper planning and selection of adaptable irrigation ...
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In recent years, larg parts of agricultural lands in the country have been at the risk of degradation because of quantative and qualitative limitations of water resources and soil salinization. Therefore, to increase plant yield per unit of consumed water, proper planning and selection of adaptable irrigation method for optimum use of the limited water resources is necessary. This study was carried out in randomized complete blocks design with four treatments and three replications at Haji Abad Agricultural Research Station during four years. The treatments of irrigation included surface (basin) and drip irrigation with irrigation depth equal to 75% and 100% net irrigation requirement based on cumulative evaporation from class A pan. The results showed that effects of irrigation treatments on fruit yield, leaf number, leaflet number, trunk perimeter, and plant canopy area were not significant, probably because the applied water based on pan evaporation was more than the actual plant water requirement. But, there was significant difference between water productivity, at 1% probability level. The maximum and minimum water productivity values were obtained in drip irrigation with irrigation depth equal to 75% and in the basin irrigation with a depth equal to 100% of the cumulative evaporation from the class A pan, respectively. The drip irrigation treatment with irrigation depth of 75% of cumulative evaporation from the class A pan is recommendable for date palm plantations.
Abdolamir Rahnama; Abdolhamid Mohebi; Majid Alihoori
Abstract
Due to intact and vigorous root system, tissue culture-derived date palm could establish well in the soil which, in turn, results in satisfactory vegetative growth. Low percentage fruit set and, consequently, poor yield is, however, one of the drawbacks of such plants in the early years of fruiting ...
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Due to intact and vigorous root system, tissue culture-derived date palm could establish well in the soil which, in turn, results in satisfactory vegetative growth. Low percentage fruit set and, consequently, poor yield is, however, one of the drawbacks of such plants in the early years of fruiting phase. This study aimed at increasing fruit set and yield of date palm cv. Barhi through impproving irrigation and application of fertilizers during 3 successive seasons from 2008-2010 in Ahvaz, Iran. The experiment was set up as a split-plot arranged in a randomized complete block design with irrigation intervals as the main plots and fertilizer treatments as the sub-plots, with 3 replications. Three irrigation intervals included 7, 14, and 21 days and regimes of fertilization included the control (based on soil test), 30% below the control level, and 30% above the control rate. Results showed that irrigation had significant effects on cholorophyl content and all vegetative parameters, expect leaf. No significant differences in fruiting characteristics were observed between irrigation intervals. Shorter irrigation intervals increased trunk length and diameter, chlorophyll content, number of leaf and leaflets and leaf width. Fertilizer had significant effects on chlorophyll content, leaf width, fruit set and yield. Increased rates of fertlization raised chlorophyll content and increased leaf width but decreased fruit set and yield. Interaction of fertlizer and irrigation had significant effects on all vegetative and reproductive parameters. The highest yield was obtained under 7 days irrigation interval combined with fertilization at 30% below the control (47.4 kg/tree), showing that irrigation is more influential on date yield than fertilizer application