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Interaction between water and nitrogen management in peaches for processing

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Abstract

A three-year field experiment (2006–2008) on clingstone peach cv. Andross was conducted in a commercial orchard under mechanical harvesting for the processing industry. Three irrigation strategies were evaluated: full irrigation throughout the growing season; restricted irrigation during stage-II (~70% restriction) and restricted irrigation during stage-III (~30% restriction), combined with three nitrogen fertilization treatments: 0, 60 and 120 kg N/ha. Trees were fertigated on a daily basis. Daily patterns of soil moisture were monitored with capacitance probes. Irrigation restriction strategies and nitrogen dose affected yield and fruit quality at commercial harvest. As well as the individual effects of applying irrigation strategies and N doses, interactions between the two factors were analyzed. In the second year, there was a nitrogen × irrigation interaction for fruit yield. A positive yield effect for N applied to fully irrigated trees occured, while the opposite was observed when the irrigation restrictions were applied during stage-III.

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Acknowledgments

This study was financed by INIA project RTA2005-00065. Xavier Domingo received an FPI grant from LAB-FERRER, with the support of the “Departament d’Universitats, Recerca i Societat de la Informació de la Generalitat de Catalunya”. Special thanks go to the personnel and students of Area de Tecnologia del Reg of IRTA and to Josep Ramon and Fernando Sainz de la Maza from AGROCEMELI SCCL and SOLFRANC Tecnologías SL. We also acknowledge the support of the CSD2006-00067 grants to CONSOLIDER-INGENIO 2010.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries, Centre UdL-IRTA, Tecnologia del Reg, Av Rovira Roure 191, 25198, Lleida, Spain

    J. Rufat, X. Domingo & A. Arbonés

  2. Departament de Medi Ambient i Ciències del Sòl, Universitat de Lleida, Av Rovira Roure 191, 25198, Lleida, Spain

    X. Domingo & J. M. Villar

  3. Centre d′Assessoria Dr Ferrer S.L., LAB-FERRER, C/Ferran el Catòlic 3, 25200, Cervera, Spain

    X. Domingo

  4. Departament d′Hortofructicultura, Botànica i Jardineria, Universitat de Lleida, Av Rovira Roure 191, 25198, Lleida, Spain

    M. Pascual

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  1. J. Rufat
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  2. X. Domingo
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  3. A. Arbonés
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  4. M. Pascual
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  5. J. M. Villar
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Rufat.

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Communicated by E. Fereres.

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Rufat, J., Domingo, X., Arbonés, A. et al. Interaction between water and nitrogen management in peaches for processing. Irrig Sci 29, 321–329 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-010-0234-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-010-0234-4

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