Regulated deficit irrigation in pomegranate (Punica granatum) trees. Yield and its components

Abstract

An experiment has been carried out during two seasons with the objective of identifying pomegranate yield responses to water restrictions applied during different phenological periods. In mature trees, five irrigation treatments where applied including trees watered at 100% and 50% of tree water needs (ETc) during the entire season, and other three regulated deficit irrigated (RDI) treatments with severe restrictions applied only during certain phenological periods. Results showed that all the deficit irrigated treatments allowed increasing water use efficiency (i.e. yield/water applied). An early season water stress, increased the number of fruit collected at harvest, with the drawaback of reducing fruit weight if restrictions were prolonged during all the season. On the other hand, temporal water restrictions applied in the mid summer lead to a very small effect on final fruit weight. Results indicate the potential that RDI has in Pomegranate trees as a tool to cope with water scarcity in this crop.