IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agiwat/v222y2019icp221-230.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Response of fruit yield, fruit quality, and water use efficiency to water deficits for apple trees under surge-root irrigation in the Loess Plateau of China

Author

Listed:
  • Zhong, Yun
  • Fei, Liangjun
  • Li, Yibo
  • Zeng, Jian
  • Dai, Zhiguang

Abstract

This study investigated the response of the fruit quality, fruit yield, and water use efficiency (WUE) to regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) during the different growth stages of apple trees (Malus pumila Mill) in the Loess Plateau of northern China. Different water deficit treatments were applied in 2016 and 2017 on a field planted with 5-year-old apple trees. The treatments included low (L), moderate (M), and severe (S) water deficit treatments during the bud burst to leafing (I), flowering to fruit set (II), and fruit growth (III) stages. Compared with full irrigation (FI), water deficit treatment during the different growth stages had significant effects on the fruit quality, fruit yield, and WUE of the apple trees. The L and M water deficit treatments during stage III significantly reduced the apple yield by 10.89% and 13.46% in 2016 and 3.66% and 10.10% in 2017, respectively. A water deficit during stage III decreased the single fruit weight, excellent-fruit percentage, and fruit water content by 2.79%–11.31%, 15.24%–20.36%, and 4.26%–10.07%, respectively, and increased fruit firmness, soluble solid content, and soluble reducing sugar content by 12.70%–21.31%, 13.83%–33.60%, and 10.13%–21.48%, respectively. The L and M water deficit treatments applied during stage I resulted in apple quality and yield that were similar to those resulting from the FI treatment, but the WUE was significantly higher in the L and M water deficit treatments than in the FI treatment. The optimal period for water deficit treatment is stage II, during which the highest yield and WUE were found. The L and M treatments during stage II increased the fruit yield by 13.93% and 13.28% in 2016 and 17.94% and 17.13% in 2017, respectively. The WUE of the apple trees was higher with the I I-L and I I-M treatments (greater than 7 kg m−3) than with other treatments. In addition, water deficit treatment during stage II caused a slight increase in fruit firmness and a slight decrease in fruit water content, which produces apples suitable for storage. Single fruit weight, excellent-fruit percentage, and soluble solid and soluble reducing sugar content were significantly improved, making the apples sweeter; thus, a water deficit during stage II had a significant positive effect on apple quality, with the I I-M treatment being optimal and the II-L treatment being second best. The optimal water deficit treatment of the II-M treatment enhances the fruit quality, yield, and WUE of apple trees in water-scarce environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhong, Yun & Fei, Liangjun & Li, Yibo & Zeng, Jian & Dai, Zhiguang, 2019. "Response of fruit yield, fruit quality, and water use efficiency to water deficits for apple trees under surge-root irrigation in the Loess Plateau of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 222(C), pages 221-230.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:222:y:2019:i:c:p:221-230
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2019.05.035
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377419302707
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agwat.2019.05.035?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dai, Zhiguang & Fei, Liangjun & Huang, Deliang & Zeng, Jian & Chen, Lin & Cai, Yaohui, 2019. "Coupling effects of irrigation and nitrogen levels on yield, water and nitrogen use efficiency of surge-root irrigated jujube in a semiarid region," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 213(C), pages 146-154.
    2. Faci, J.M. & Blanco, O. & Medina, E.T. & Martínez-Cob, A., 2014. "Effect of post veraison regulated deficit irrigation in production and berry quality of Autumn Royal and Crimson table grape cultivars," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 73-83.
    3. Sampathkumar, T. & Pandian, B.J. & Rangaswamy, M.V. & Manickasundaram, P. & Jeyakumar, P., 2013. "Influence of deficit irrigation on growth, yield and yield parameters of cotton–maize cropping sequence," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 90-102.
    4. Alikhani-Koupaei, Majid & Fatahi, Reza & Zamani, Zabihollah & Salimi, Saeedeh, 2018. "Effects of deficit irrigation on some physiological traits, production and fruit quality of ‘Mazafati’ date palm and the fruit wilting and dropping disorder," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 209(C), pages 219-227.
    5. Cui, Ningbo & Du, Taisheng & Li, Fusheng & Tong, Ling & Kang, Shaozhong & Wang, Mixia & Liu, Xiaozhi & Li, Zhijun, 2009. "Response of vegetative growth and fruit development to regulated deficit irrigation at different growth stages of pear-jujube tree," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 96(8), pages 1237-1246, August.
    6. Cui, Ningbo & Du, Taisheng & Kang, Shaozhong & Li, Fusheng & Zhang, Jianhua & Wang, Mixia & Li, Zhijun, 2008. "Regulated deficit irrigation improved fruit quality and water use efficiency of pear-jujube trees," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 95(4), pages 489-497, April.
    7. Ali, Shahzad & Xu, Yueyue & Ahmad, Irshad & Jia, Qianmin & Ma, Xiangcheng & Ullah, Hidayat & Alam, Mukhtar & Adnan, Muhammad & Daur, Ihsanullah & Ren, Xiaolong & Cai, Tie & Zhang, Jiahua & Jia, Zhikua, 2018. "Tillage and deficit irrigation strategies to improve winter wheat production through regulating root development under simulated rainfall conditions," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 209(C), pages 44-54.
    8. Cuevas, Julian & Canete, Maria L. & Pinillos, Virginia & Zapata, Antonio J. & Fernandez, Maria D. & Gonzalez, Monica & Hueso, Juan J., 2007. "Optimal dates for regulated deficit irrigation in `Algerie' loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) cultivated in Southeast Spain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 89(1-2), pages 131-136, April.
    9. Singh, Yudhveer & Rao, Sajjan Singh & Regar, Panna Lal, 2010. "Deficit irrigation and nitrogen effects on seed cotton yield, water productivity and yield response factor in shallow soils of semi-arid environment," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 97(7), pages 965-970, July.
    10. Gucci, Riccardo & Caruso, Giovanni & Gennai, Clizia & Esposto, Sonia & Urbani, Stefania & Servili, Maurizio, 2019. "Fruit growth, yield and oil quality changes induced by deficit irrigation at different stages of olive fruit development," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 88-98.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Li, Zhiming & Duan, Songpo & Ouyang, Xin & Song, Shijie & Chen, Diwen & Fan, Xianting & Ding, Hanqing & Shen, Hong, 2024. "Coupled soil moisture management and alginate oligosaccharide strategies enhance citrus orchard production, water and potassium use efficiency by improving the rhizosphere soil environment," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 297(C).
    2. Zheng, Shunsheng & Jiang, Shouzheng & Cui, Ningbo & Zhao, Lu & Gong, Daozhi & Wang, Yaosheng & Wu, Zongjun & Liu, Quanshan, 2023. "Deficit drip irrigation improves kiwifruit quality and water productivity under rain-shelter cultivation in the humid area of South China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 289(C).
    3. Wang, Cheng & Bai, Dan & Li, Yibo & Yao, Baolin & Feng, Yaqin, 2021. "The comparison of different irrigation methods on yield and water use efficiency of the jujube," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 252(C).
    4. Lei Hua & Jianen Gao & Meifang Zhou & Shilun Bai, 2021. "Impacts of Relative Elevation on Soil Nutrients and Apple Quality in the Hilly-Gully Region of the Loess Plateau, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-11, January.
    5. Cui, Ningbo & Zha, Yuxuan & Wang, Zhihui & Chen, Fei & Jiang, Shouzheng & Zhang, Wenjiang & Zhu, Bin & Wu, Zongjun & Zheng, Shunsheng & He, Ziling & Zhao, Lu, 2024. "Water deficit drip irrigation promotes citrus sugar accumulation during the late growth stages," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 296(C).
    6. Wen, Shenglin & Cui, Ningbo & Gong, Daozhi & Liu, Chunwei & Xing, Liwen & Wu, Zongjun & Wang, Zhihui & Wang, Jiaxin, 2023. "A global meta-analysis of yield and water productivity of woody, herbaceous and vine fruits under deficit irrigation," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 287(C).
    7. Lecaros-Arellano, F. & Holzapfel, E. & Fereres, E. & Rivera, D. & Muñoz, N. & Jara, J., 2021. "Effects of the number of drip laterals on yield and quality of apples grown in two soil types," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 248(C).
    8. Chen, Fei & Cui, Ningbo & Jiang, Shouzheng & Li, Hongping & Wang, Yaosheng & Gong, Daozhi & Hu, Xiaotao & Zhao, Lu & Liu, Chunwei & Qiu, Rangjian, 2022. "Effects of water deficit at different growth stages under drip irrigation on fruit quality of citrus in the humid areas of South China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 262(C).
    9. Cui, Ningbo & Wang, Mingjun & Zou, Qingyao & Wang, Zhihui & Jiang, Shouzheng & Chen, Xi & Zha, Yuxuan & Xiang, Lu & Zhao, Lu, 2023. "Water-potassium coupling at different growth stages improved kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) quality and water/potassium productivity without yield loss in the humid areas of South China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 289(C).
    10. Wang, Zeyi & Zhang, Hengjia & Wang, Yingying & Wang, Yong & Lei, Lian & Liang, Chao & Wang, Yucai, 2023. "Deficit irrigation decision-making of indigowoad root based on a model coupling fuzzy theory and grey relational analysis," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 275(C).
    11. Zhao, Zhiyuan & Zheng, Wei & Ma, Yanting & Wang, Xianling & Li, Ziyan & Zhai, Bingnian & Wang, Zhaohui, 2020. "Responses of soil water, nitrate and yield of apple orchard to integrated soil management in Loess Plateau, China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 240(C).
    12. He, Zijian & Hu, Qingyang & Zhang, Yi & Cao, Hongxia & Nan, Xueping, 2023. "Effects of irrigation and nitrogen management strategies on soil nitrogen and apple yields in loess plateau of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 280(C).
    13. Liao, Yang & Cao, Hong-Xia & Liu, Xing & Li, Huang-Tao & Hu, Qing-Yang & Xue, Wen-Kai, 2021. "By increasing infiltration and reducing evaporation, mulching can improve the soil water environment and apple yield of orchards in semiarid areas," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 253(C).
    14. Zhang, Binbin & Su, Shunshun & Duan, Chenxiao & Feng, Hao & Chau, Henry Wai & He, Jianqiang & Li, Yi & Hill, Robert Lee & Wu, Shufang & Zou, Yufeng, 2022. "Effects of partial organic fertilizer replacement combined with rainwater collection system on soil water, nitrate-nitrogen and apple yield of rainfed apple orchard in the Loess Plateau of China: A 3-," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    15. Wen, Shenglin & Cui, Ningbo & Wang, Yaosheng & Gong, Daozhi & Xing, Liwen & Wu, Zongjun & Zhang, Yixuan & Zhao, Long & Fan, Junliang & Wang, Zhihui, 2024. "Optimizing deficit drip irrigation to improve yield,quality, and water productivity of apple in Loess Plateau of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 296(C).
    16. Chen, Fei & Cui, Ningbo & Jiang, Shouzheng & Wang, Zhihui & Li, Hongping & Lv, Min & Wang, Yaosheng & Gong, Daozhi & Zhao, Lu, 2023. "Multi-objective deficit drip irrigation optimization of citrus yield, fruit quality and water use efficiency using NSGA-II in seasonal arid area of Southwest China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 287(C).
    17. Sun, Guangzhao & Hu, Tiantian & Liu, Xiaogang & Peng, Youliang & Leng, Xianxian & Li, Yilin & Yang, Qiliang, 2022. "Optimizing irrigation and fertilization at various growth stages to improve mango yield, fruit quality and water-fertilizer use efficiency in xerothermic regions," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    18. Liyuan Bo & Xiaomin Mao & Yali Wang, 2022. "Assessing the Applicability of Biodegradable Film Mulching in Northwest China Based on Comprehensive Benefits Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-23, August.
    19. Liao, Yang & Cao, Hong-Xia & Xue, Wen-Kai & Liu, Xing, 2021. "Effects of the combination of mulching and deficit irrigation on the soil water and heat, growth and productivity of apples," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    20. Zhang, Binbin & Yan, Sihui & Li, Bin & Wu, Shufang & Feng, Hao & Gao, Xiaodong & Song, Xiaolin & Siddique, Kadambot H.M., 2023. "Combining organic and chemical fertilizer plus water-saving system reduces environmental impacts and improves apple yield in rainfed apple orchards," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 288(C).
    21. Guo, Fu-Xing & Wang, Yan-Ping & Hou, Ting-Ting & Zhang, Lin-Sen & Mu, Yan & Wu, Fu-yong, 2021. "Variation of soil moisture and fine roots distribution adopts rainwater collection, infiltration promoting and soil anti-seepage system (RCIP-SA) in hilly apple orchard on the Loess Plateau of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 244(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Liao, Yang & Cao, Hong-Xia & Xue, Wen-Kai & Liu, Xing, 2021. "Effects of the combination of mulching and deficit irrigation on the soil water and heat, growth and productivity of apples," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    2. Kang, Jian & Hao, Xinmei & Zhou, Huiping & Ding, Risheng, 2021. "An integrated strategy for improving water use efficiency by understanding physiological mechanisms of crops responding to water deficit: Present and prospect," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 255(C).
    3. Galindo, A. & Collado-González, J. & Griñán, I. & Corell, M. & Centeno, A. & Martín-Palomo, M.J. & Girón, I.F. & Rodríguez, P. & Cruz, Z.N. & Memmi, H. & Carbonell-Barrachina, A.A. & Hernández, F. & T, 2018. "Deficit irrigation and emerging fruit crops as a strategy to save water in Mediterranean semiarid agrosystems," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 311-324.
    4. Wen, Shenglin & Cui, Ningbo & Gong, Daozhi & Liu, Chunwei & Xing, Liwen & Wu, Zongjun & Wang, Zhihui & Wang, Jiaxin, 2023. "A global meta-analysis of yield and water productivity of woody, herbaceous and vine fruits under deficit irrigation," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 287(C).
    5. Wen, Shenglin & Cui, Ningbo & Wang, Yaosheng & Gong, Daozhi & Xing, Liwen & Wu, Zongjun & Zhang, Yixuan & Zhao, Long & Fan, Junliang & Wang, Zhihui, 2024. "Optimizing deficit drip irrigation to improve yield,quality, and water productivity of apple in Loess Plateau of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 296(C).
    6. Leontina Lipan & Aarón A. Carbonell-Pedro & Belén Cárceles Rodríguez & Víctor Hugo Durán-Zuazo & Dionisio Franco Tarifa & Iván Francisco García-Tejero & Baltasar Gálvez Ruiz & Simón Cuadros Tavira & R, 2021. "Can Sustained Deficit Irrigation Save Water and Meet the Quality Characteristics of Mango?," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-16, May.
    7. Chengkun Wang & Nannan Zhang & Mingzhe Li & Li Li & Tiecheng Bai, 2022. "Pear Tree Growth Simulation and Soil Moisture Assessment Considering Pruning," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-26, October.
    8. Janssens, Pieter & Deckers, Tom & Elsen, Frank & Elsen, Annemie & Schoofs, Hilde & Verjans, Wim & Vandendriessche, Hilde, 2011. "Sensitivity of root pruned ‘Conference’ pear to water deficit in a temperate climate," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 99(1), pages 58-66.
    9. Cui, Ningbo & Du, Taisheng & Li, Fusheng & Tong, Ling & Kang, Shaozhong & Wang, Mixia & Liu, Xiaozhi & Li, Zhijun, 2009. "Response of vegetative growth and fruit development to regulated deficit irrigation at different growth stages of pear-jujube tree," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 96(8), pages 1237-1246, August.
    10. Bai, Tiecheng & Zhang, Nannan & Wang, Tao & Wang, Desheng & Yu, Caili & Meng, Wenbo & Fei, Hao & Chen, Rengu & Li, Yanhui & Zhou, Baoping, 2021. "Simulating on the effects of irrigation on jujube tree growth, evapotranspiration and water use based on crop growth model," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    11. Wang, Cheng & Bai, Dan & Li, Yibo & Yao, Baolin & Feng, Yaqin, 2021. "The comparison of different irrigation methods on yield and water use efficiency of the jujube," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 252(C).
    12. Zhou, Huiping & Chen, Jinliang & Wang, Feng & Li, Xiaojuan & Génard, Michel & Kang, Shaozhong, 2020. "An integrated irrigation strategy for water-saving and quality-improving of cash crops: Theory and practice in China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 241(C).
    13. Bai, Youshuai & Zhang, Hengjia & Jia, Shenghai & Huang, Caixia & Zhao, Xia & Wei, Huiqin & Yang, Shurui & Ma, Yan & Kou, Rui, 2022. "Plastic film mulching combined with sand tube irrigation improved yield, water use efficiency, and fruit quality of jujube in an arid desert area of Northwest China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 271(C).
    14. Feng, Yu & Cui, Ningbo & Du, Taisheng & Gong, Daozhi & Hu, Xiaotao & Zhao, Lu, 2017. "Response of sap flux and evapotranspiration to deficit irrigation of greenhouse pear-jujube trees in semi-arid northwest China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 1-12.
    15. Akbarzadeh, Ali & Shahnazari, Ali & Ziatabar Ahmadi, Mirkhalegh & Akbarzadeh, Mohammad, 2022. "Partial root zone drying increases peppermint essential oil yield and water productivity," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 263(C).
    16. Alikhani-Koupaei, Majid & Soleimani Aghdam, Morteza & Faghih, Somayeh, 2020. "Physiological aspects of date palm loading and alternate bearing under regulated deficit irrigation compared to cutting back of bunch," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 232(C).
    17. Rao, Sajjan Singh & Tanwar, Suresh Pal Singh & Regar, Panna Lal, 2016. "Effect of deficit irrigation, phosphorous inoculation and cycocel spray on root growth, seed cotton yield and water productivity of drip irrigated cotton in arid environment," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 14-25.
    18. Xiaopeng Li & Yupeng Li & Zhong Zhang & Xingang Li, 2015. "Influences of Environmental Factors on Leaf Morphology of Chinese Jujubes," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(5), pages 1-16, May.
    19. Arbizu-Milagro, Julia & Castillo-Ruiz, Francisco J. & Tascón, Alberto & Peña, Jose M., 2023. "Effects of regulated, precision and continuous deficit irrigation on the growth and productivity of a young super high-density olive orchard," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 286(C).
    20. Tang, Jiankai & Yang, Qiliang & Liang, Jiaping & Wang, Haidong & Yue, Xiulu, 2024. "Water management, planting slope indicators, and economic benefit analysis for Panax notoginseng production decision under shaded and rain-shelter cultivation: A three-year sloping fields experiment," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 291(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:222:y:2019:i:c:p:221-230. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agwat .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.