YIELD AND FRUIT QUALITY OF ALMOND, PEACH AND PLUM UNDER REGULATED DEFICIT IRRIGATION

Highlights

• Regulated deficit irrigation was assessed in almond, peach and plum over 3 years.

• Fruit-growth slowdown stages are appropriate periods to apply deficit irrigation.

• Peach yields were unaffected under a regulated deficit irrigation of 75% ET_C.

• Regulated deficit irrigation of 50% ET_C maintained yields of almond and plum.

• Fruit quality improved under regulated deficit irrigation.

Abstract

The effects of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) on the performance of almond cv. Tuono, peach cv. JH-Hall and plum cv. Stanley were assessed on the Saiss Plain (NW, Morocco) over three consecutive growing seasons (2011–2013). Irrigation treatments consisted of a control, irrigation applied to fully satisfy crop water requirements (100% ET_C), and two RDI treatments, irrigation applied to 75% ET_C (RDI-75) and 50% ET_C (RDI-50). These three treatments were applied during fruit-growth slowdown periods corresponding to Stages II and III in almond and Stage II in peach and plum. Yield and fruit quality traits were determined. The effect of RDI differed between species. Yield and fruit size were reduced significantly only in peach under RDI-50. Fruit quality improved in this species in the first year of the experiment, with an increase of sugar/acid ratio and polyphenol content. Plum quality also improved but the effects were significant only in the second and third years. Similar results were recorded in almond kernel, but their epidermal grooves were deeper under RDI-50, and this may have affected their commercial value. It is concluded that water can be saved during the fruit-growth slowdown period by up to 25% in peach and 50% in almond and plum with improvements in fruit quality without affecting total yield.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

fruit quality / fruit yield / Prunus domestica / Prunus dulcis / Prunus persica / regulated deficit irrigation

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank C.D. Khalfi, M. Alghoum and E. Bouichou for assistance with field and laboratory work and M. Lahlou for his help in experimental orchard management and treatment applications.

Compliance with ethics guidelines

Rachid Razouk, Abdellah Kajji, Anas Hamdani, Jamal Charafi, Lahcen Hssaini, and Said Bouda declare that they have no conflicts of interest or financial conflicts to disclose.

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

The Author(s) 2020. Published by Higher Education Press. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)