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Crop yield response to water - Cra

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season. Thus the risks of salinity buildup are higher under DI than under full irrigation. Whenreductions in <strong>water</strong> supply last only a year or two, it is possible <strong>to</strong> use mild <strong>to</strong> moderate DIwith limited impact on <strong>yield</strong> and net income and with little salt accumulation. This is becausenormally, there is sufficient s<strong>to</strong>red soil <strong>water</strong> <strong>to</strong> contribute <strong>to</strong> ET from the previous, normalyear, and the salinity risks are limited if full irrigation resumes one or two years after theimposition of DI.If DI is practised over the long term, a strategy for salinity management under DI must bedevised <strong>to</strong> make DI sustainable. In areas where annual rainfall is significant (average, above300 mm) and drainage is feasible, salinity buildup is controlled by the annual rainfall for<strong>water</strong>s of good <strong>to</strong> medium quality. Poor quality <strong>water</strong> may require some additional leachingin dry years, depending on the rainfall patterns. When annual rainfall is insufficient <strong>to</strong> leachthe salts and microirrigation is practised, salts will accumulate and remain at the boundariesof the wetted zones by the emitters, and they may be harmful <strong>to</strong> the crop. Light rainfall maymove these salts in<strong>to</strong> the active root zones, and this is why in some dry areas drip irrigationsystems are turned on when light rainfall is predicted. Sometimes, full coverage irrigationsystems are used <strong>to</strong> leach the salts after leaf fall in deciduous tree plantations. Moni<strong>to</strong>ringsalinity is essential <strong>to</strong> anticipate possible problems, more so in dry areas and poor qualityirrigation <strong>water</strong>s.An important consideration in the case of salinity is that it is a gradual problem that in mostcases takes time <strong>to</strong> build up. The limited experience with DI is that salts may be periodicallycontrolled, even in dry areas, in the high-rainfall years or when irrigation supply conditionspermit the return <strong>to</strong> full irrigation once every several years. Nevertheless, <strong>to</strong> sustain theplantations throughout their normal life cycle under DI, salinity moni<strong>to</strong>ring and a soundmanagement strategy for salinity control will be critical.ReferencesBerni, J.A.J., Zarco-Tejada, P.J., Suárez, L., & Fereres, E. 2009. Thermal and narrowband multispectral remote sensingfor vegetation moni<strong>to</strong>ring from an unmanned aerial vehicle. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing47: 722 – 738.Bonachela, S., Orgaz, F., Villalobos, F.J. & Fereres, E. 2001. Soil evaporation from drip-irrigated olive orchards.Irrigation Science 20:65-71.FAO. 2011. FAOSTAT online database, available at link http://faostat.fao.org/. Accessed on December 2011.Fereres, E., Martinich, D.A., Aldrich, T.M., Castel, J.R., Holzapfel, E. & Schulbach, H.1982. Drip irrigation saves moneyin young almond orchards. California Agriculture 36:12–13.Goldhamer, D.A., Viveros, M. & Salinas, M. 2006. Regulated deficit irrigation in almonds: effects of variations inapplied <strong>water</strong> and stress timing on <strong>yield</strong> and <strong>yield</strong> components. Irrigation Science 24(2):101-114.Orgaz, F., Testi, L., Villalobos, F.J. & Fereres, E. 2006. Water requirements of olive orchards II: determination of cropcoefficients for irrigation scheduling. Irrigation Science 24:77-84.Sadras, V.O. 2009. Does partial root-zone drying improve irrigation <strong>water</strong> productivity in the field? A meta-analysis.Irrigation Science 27: 183-190.Testi, L., Villalobos, F.J., Orgaz, F. & Fereres, E. 2006. Water requirements of olive orchards: I simulation of dailyevapotranspiration for scenario analysis. Irrigation Science 24:69-76.Testi, L., Goldhamer, D.A., Iniesta, F. & Salinas, M. 2008. <strong>Crop</strong> Water Stress Index Is a Sensitive Water Stress Indica<strong>to</strong>rin Pistachio Trees. Irrigation Science, 26: 395-405.294crop <strong>yield</strong> <strong>response</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>water</strong>

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