Water deficit and partial rootzone drying in an acid lime orchard

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of water deficit and of partial rootzone drying (PRD) on the yield and water use efficiency in a 'Tahiti' lime orchard, in the Semiarid Region of Bahia state, Brazil. The experiment was carried out in a randomized block design, with six treatments and six replicates. Treatments with PRD were carried out by the periodic alternance (7, 14 or 21 days) of the sides in which the micro sprinklers were located in relation to the plants. These treatments were performed with a water depth equivalent to 50% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc). They were compared to the treatment with 50% water deficit, using one fixed micro sprinkler at one of the plant sides, and to the treatment at 100%, with sprinklers at both plant sides. PRD (21 days) with 25% ETc water depth reduction was also evaluated. PRD at 50% ETc do not differ from the treatment with this same water deficit and without alternating irrigation sides for productivity, water use efficiency, and fruit diameter and weight, regardless of the irrigation alternating period. PRD with 25% ETc water depth reduction do not cause losses in comparison to the condition without deficit and without localized irrigation.