Seasonal Water Use of a Kiwifruit Vine: Measurements and a Model

Abstract

We recorded canopy development and stomatal function of a kiwifruit vine for the purpose of calculating the seasonal water use by the crop. Canopy development was described using an empirical “S-shaped” curve fitted to weekly measurements of the vine's leaf area. Stomatal conductance was described using a semi-empirical model based on the incident radiation, and the ambient vapor pressure deficit of the air. These two descriptors, leaf area and stomatal conductance, were combined with meteorological data to calculate vine transpiration via the Penman–Monteith model. Transpiration rates calculated at 30-min intervals were in good agreement with the instantaneous rates of sap flow measured by heat-pulse sensors located in the vine stem. The measured and calculated transpiration remained in concert throughout the experiment, thereby confirming the Penman-Monteith model as a robust and suitable model to describe the seasonal water use by kiwifruit vines. The model validation enables confident predictions of crop water use and thus aids irrigation allocation for kiwifruit crops.