Salinity and water effects on 'Hass' avocado yields

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted between 1992 and 1997 in a commercial orchard of mature 'Hass' avocados on Mexican seedling rootstock (Persea americana Mill.) to determine how yield was influenced by the amount of irrigation water applied and the frequency of application. Three amounts of water (targeted at 90%, 110%, and 130% of estimated crop evapotranspiration) were applied at three frequencies (one, twice, and seven times per week) with microsprinklers located beneath the tree canopy. The site was set up as a randomized complete block design with six blocks, each including one replicate of all irrigation treatments. One or two trees located at the center of the replicates were used to measure yields and tree size, and as the locations where samples of soil and soil water were obtained for analysis from beneath the tree canopy. The average electrical conductivity and chloride concentration of the irrigation water, corrected for rain, were 0.7 dS·m-1 and 1.8 mmol·L-1, respectively. From May 1994 to Nov. 1996, salinity of the saturated-paste extracts of soil samples obtained in the 0- to 120-cm depth interval averaged ≈2 dS·m-1 for all irrigation treatments. Irrigation treatments also had little influence on the maximum soil-water salinity, ≈4 dS·m-1, in and below the lower portion of the root zone. Consequently, irrigation treatments had little influence on the fraction of applied water that was not used by the crop, the leaching fraction. Chloride concentrations in leaves were affected by applied water but did not attain levels that are associated with leaf Injury. Trees irrigated seven times per week had lower yields than trees that received less frequent irrigation. During the last 2 years of the experiment, when yields no longer increased with time, the yields for treatments irrigated once and twice per week increased with increasing amounts of applied water. We were able to explain the influence of both amount of applied water and soil salinity on avocado yields and leaching fraction using production function concepts. Yields increased with increasing amounts of applied water because of increased water availability for crop use before a soil-water salinity of ≈4 dS·m -1 restricted water uptake. The threshold salinity above which yield decline occurred was determined to be 0.57 dS·m-1 and yield declined by 65% per unit of salinity above the threshold. Our results suggest that maximum yields of 'Hass' avocado on Mexican seedling rootstock are not achievable when the average annual salinity of irrigation water, including rainfall, is greater than ≈0.6 dS·m-1.