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Effects of different irrigation regimes applied during the final stage of rapid growth on an early maturing peach cultivar

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Abstract

Different irrigation regimes were performed on container-grown early-season peach trees (cv. Alexandra) during stage III of fruit growth. In the first experiment, three water treatments were applied: T1, control irrigation; T2, light water restriction; T3, high water restriction. In the second experiment, T4, a light water restriction, was compared to T5, the same total amount of water as T4 but with alternating periods of water withholding and subsequent re-irrigation. Compared to T1 and T2, leaf photosynthesis was limited under T3. Fruit yield and quality did not differ between T1 and T2, while fruit yield, average weight and percentage in the higher commercial grade decreased and total soluble solids (TSS) increased under T3, compared to T1 and T2. Comparing T5 to T4, yield, fruit firmness and average weight did not vary, but heterogeneousness of fruit diameter and TSS at the lower fruit grade tended to be higher. Peach sensitivity to brown rot was likely to decrease under T3 compared to T1 and T2. Peach water loss and brown rot incidence after contamination in conidial suspensions were enhanced under T5 compared to T4, implying that re-irrigation after water withholding should be avoided in order to limit brown rot incidence.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful for the financial support provided by INRA (“Integrated Fruit Production” project, contract no. P00232). We wish to thank M. Siham and C. Deloire for their experimental work, and J. Besset and T. Girard for their technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unité Expérimentale Recherches Intégrées, Domaine de Gotheron, INRA (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique), 26320, St Marcel-les-Valence, France

    Vincent Mercier & Claude Bussi

  2. Unité Plantes et Systèmes de culture Horticoles, Domaine de Saint-Paul, INRA, Site Agroparc, 84914, Avignon Cedex 9, France

    Françoise Lescourret & Michel Génard

Authors
  1. Vincent Mercier
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  2. Claude Bussi
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  3. Françoise Lescourret
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  4. Michel Génard
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Correspondence to Vincent Mercier.

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Communicated by A. Kassam.

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Mercier, V., Bussi, C., Lescourret, F. et al. Effects of different irrigation regimes applied during the final stage of rapid growth on an early maturing peach cultivar. Irrig Sci 27, 297–306 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-009-0146-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-009-0146-3

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