Portal de Cartagena
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The doctoral research of Víctor Blanco Montoya at the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT) has presented the first results of the implementation of controlled deficit irrigation strategies in the Region of Murcia, concluding that this agronomic technique allows to increase the productivity of water without penalize crop production.
Tests carried out during four agricultural campaigns in the Toli de Jumilla Farm and in the laboratories of the School of Agronomists of the UPCT have proven that it is possible to reduce the water supply to the cherry trees by 45% during the summer, achieving savings between 2,500 and 2,700 cubic meters per hectare, without diminishing the quantity or quality of the next crops.
Researchers estimate that 7 million liters of water per hectare are required to fully satisfy the needs of the crop, while with the controlled deficit irrigation technique would be between 4.3 and 4.5 million liters.
"The proposed controlled deficit irrigation strategy consists of satisfying the needs of the crop during the pre-harvest (period of fruit development) and floral differentiation, avoiding over-irrigation, and applying a controlled water deficit during the rest of the post-harvest period that involves satisfying the 55% of the water needs of the crop ", explains Víctor Blanco, who has completed the Doctorate program in Advanced Techniques of Agricultural and Food Research (TAIDA) of the Polytechnic of Cartagena.
The technique of controlled deficit irrigation has also been shown to slightly reduce the sensitivity of the cherry to the phenomenon of cracking that occurs sometimes when it rains in the period of fruit ripening.
In addition, this strategy decreased vegetative growth, which facilitates the tasks of crop management, saving money, energy and labor in tasks such as pruning.
"Smaller trees require less volume of wet soil and therefore less amount of water, fertilizers and electrical energy associated with irrigation," recalls the new doctor from the UPCT.
The thesis also proposes a model for estimating the water status of trees from wireless networks of easily automated soil and climate sensors.
"The sensors are essential to know in real time how the soil and the plant are, preventing water stress from affecting the next harvest," says Rafael Domingo Miguel, who has directed the doctoral research along with Alejandro Pérez Pastor.
"The sensors are increasingly demanded by farmers, they are of great help in the face of the scarce availability of water," adds the researcher, member of the spin-off of the UPCT Widhoc, which markets a rental service and management of these agronomic devices.
"Saving water in summer, when its availability is even lower, is fundamental for the profitability of the productions and allows to expand the cultivation surface", says Alejandro Pérez.
The research has been carried out on a farm in the Altiplano of the Region of Murcia, but it can be extended to regions of Alicante where cherry trees are also being cultivated.
Source: UPCT
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