Abstract
Pistachio yields normally alternate between high and low values for consecutive years due to management and genetic effects. In this study, irrigated and non-irrigated treatments of old pistachio trees (Pistacia vera L.) were compared for 5 years from 1979 to 1983. Two irrigation treatments consisting of irrigation scheduling at 20- and 30-day interval were compared with the control treatment of no irrigation. Results showed that irrigation practice in pistachio orchards not only increased fruit yield, but also suppressed periodicity, the low fruit yield in alternating years. The frequent irrigation of 20-day interval nearly doubled the dry fruit yield irrespective of whether it was the off-yielding year, compared to non-irrigated control treatment. Three-years average for the irrigation at 20 days interval was 5710 kg per ha during the on-yielding years (1979,1981 and 1983); whereas, the control treatment of no irrigation yielded only 3450 kg per ha during the same period. Two-year average of the non-irrigated treatment, during the off-yielding years (1980 and 1982) was 1730 kg per ha; whereas, the irrigated treatment of 20-day interval, for the same period, showed significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher fruit yield (4030 kg per ha). Irrigation treatments, during both on and off-yielding years, had no effect on fruit quality characteristics such as nut weight, blank and split shell percent, etc. The root activity under frequent irrigation treatment was confined to shallower soil depth than the longer interval irrigation treatment.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bilgen AM (1979) Pistachio growing and its associated problems in Mediterranean Region. (Turkish) Scientific Congress of the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey, Adana, Turkey, pp 548–576
Bilgen AM (1982) Effects of irrigation scheduling on yield and quality characteristics of pistachio. (Turkish) Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Gaziantep, Turkey, pp 42
Copper WS, Gregory PJ, Tully D, Harris HC (1987) Improving water use efficiency of annual crops in the rainfed farming systems of West Asia and North Africa. Expl Agric 23:113–158
Doorenbos J, Pruit WO (1977) Guidelines for predicting crop water requirements. FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper 24, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, Rome, pp 144
Fereres E, Goldhamer DA (1990) Deciduous fruit and nut trees. In: Stewart BA, Nielsen DR (eds) Irrigation of agricultural crops. ASA Monog No 30, pp 987–1017
Firuzeh P, Ludders P (1978) Pistachio growing in Iran. Hort Abstr 49:282
Geurts F (1982) The Pistachio nut (Pistacia vera L.), aspects related to germplasm conservation. Royal Tropical Ints, Amsterdam, pp 32
Goldhamer DA, Kjelgren RK, William R, Beede R (1985) Water use requirements of pistachio trees and response to water stress. Adv Evapotranspir ASAE Pub. 14–85, pp 216–223
Goldhamer DA, Phene BC, Beede R, Scherlin L, Brazi R, Kjelgren K, Rose D (1986) Water management studies of pistachio: I Tree performance after two years of sustained deficit irrigation. Calif Pistachio Ind Annu Rep 1985–86, pp 104–112
Kuru C (1992) Pistachio (Antep Cultivar), from planting to harvest. (Turkish) Ar Ajans, Gaziantep, Turkey, pp 102
Levin I, Assaf R, Bravdo B (1972) Effect of irrigation for apple trees on water uptake from different soil layers. J Am Hortic Sci 87: 521–526
Olsson KA, Rose CW (1988) Patterns of water withrawal beneath and irrigated peach orchard on a Red-Brown Earth. Irrig Sci 9: 89–104
Sepaskhah AR, Maftoun M (1981) Growth and chemical composition of pistachio cultivars as influenced by irrigation regimes and salinity levels of irrigation water. I. Growth, J Hort Sci 56: 277–284
Spiegel-Roy P, Nazigh D, Evenari M (1977) Response of pistachio to low soil moisture conditions. J Am Soc Hort Sci 102: 470–473
Steel RGD, Torrie JH (1960) Principles and procedures of statistics. McGraw Hill, New York, pp 481
Sykes TJ (1971) The influence of climate on the regional distribution of nut crops in Turkey. Economic Botany 29: 108–115
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kanber, R., Yazar, A., Önder, S. et al. Irrigation response of Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.). Irrig Sci 14, 7–14 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00195000
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00195000