Irrigation Management Practices and Their Influence on Fruit Agroecosystem

Abstract

Annual crops are highly sensitive to water stress, so efficient water management in orchards enhance the production and sustainability of fruit cultivation. The performance of fruit tree in terms of fruit yield, fruit size and quality and long term productivity is highly dependent on irrigation and different species respond to it differently, It is known fact that the amount of fresh water available for agriculture use is decreasing and there is a need to use water efficiently either by using water saving irrigation techniques or by scheduling irrigation as per the plant's need. The scheduling of irrigation in fruit crops has gained significant importance for last one decade due to viewed rise in temperature, changing pattern of rainfall and reduction of fresh water for irrigation purposes especially for farmers indulged in fruit culture. The recent research phenology and physiology of the fruit trees in orchard management with major emphasis on water management practices e.g. deficit irrigation can influence an optimal nutrient equilibrium in soil, improve irrigation efficiency and prevent soil erosions. On this basis, work on irrigation scheduling based on evapotranspiration demand was studied in fruit agroecosystem to maintain high yield and quality of fruit crop.