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Scheduling irrigations for apple trees using climate data. Ted Sammis Go to Home. The Water Budget Method. The tree root zone is a reservoir Water is added by irrigation or rainfall. Water is removed by evapotranspiration.
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Scheduling irrigations for apple trees using climate data Ted Sammis Go to Home
The Water Budget Method • The tree root zone is a reservoir • Water is added by irrigation or rainfall. • Water is removed by evapotranspiration. • Added water can be lost by deep percolation if the amount exceeds the field capacity of the soil.
Management Allowed Depletion • Management Allowed Depletion Is the percent of water that can be removed before soil moisture stress limits growth. • (For Apples MAD is %50.)
Evapotranspiration • Evapotranspiration is determined from climate data to calculate potential Evapotranspiration (water used by grass) and a scaling coefficient or crop coefficient for apples. • The crop coefficient depends on the size and spacing of the trees and the ground cover. • The crop coefficient changes throughout the growing season increasing to a maximum at maximum leaf cover
Crop coefficient scaling function for trees based on projected area
Calculation of Evapotranspiration • Potential Et= 0.3 inches / day • Et= K*PET • K= 0.8 • Et= 0.8* 0.3 = .24 inch/day
Calculated when to irrigate • Readily available water (RAW) = available water (AW) * management allowed depletion (MAD) • Example: • Aw = 2 inches/ft * 3ft root zone • Mad = 50% • RAW= 2 inches/ft*3ft*0.5 = 3 inches
Irrigation Interval • Irrigation interval = RAW / Et / day • Irrigation interval = 3 inches / 0.24 inches /day = 13 days • Irrigation interval changes with changes in the Et or soil type. • Et changes with tree cover and weather.
Source of Potential Evapotranspiration • New Mexico Climate Center Homepage • http://weather.nmsu.edu
The Water Balance Spread Sheet • Inputs • Climate data, paste into spread sheet • Soil water holding capacity inch/ft • Irrigation amount applied at each irrigation. • Output – Date to irrigate on
Conclusion • The water balance-check book method can be used to schedule irrigations for Apples. • The water use of Apples can be calculated from climate data, and this is all that is needed to apply the correct amount of water at the correct time • The check book method can also determine the decrease in yield and amount of water stress when time between irrigation is to long.