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Regulated deficit irrigation benefits the production of container-grown citrus nursery trees

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Withholding irrigation at − 15 to − 25 kPa water potential significantly saved water with minimal changes in plant growth, water relations, and percentage of shippable citrus trees on drought-tolerant and -sensitive rootstocks.

Abstract

We evaluated the impacts of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) on plant growth, water relations, and biochemical variables of Valencia sweet orange nursery trees grafted on drought-tolerant Rangpur lime (RL) and drought-sensitive Swingle citrumelo (SC) rootstocks in pots. Irrigation was withheld to potting mix water potential of − 15 (mild RDI) and − 25 kPa (moderate RDI), with daily irrigation as control, in three graft growth periods (20–60, 61–120, and 20–120 days after grafting, DAG). Plant growth was reduced by moderate RDI, albeit RL induced more vigor than SC. SC induced higher CO2 assimilation rates and water use efficiency (WUE), regardless of the irrigation regime, and only trees grafted on RL decreased WUE under moderate RDI. Most leaf nutrient concentrations were increased with RDI intensity, while K levels were decreased by moderate RDI. Starch reserves were drastically decreased, while reducing sugars were increased by RDI in all plant organs, most notably in the leaves; roots represented the main source of carbohydrates for both rootstocks under water deficit. Starch concentration promptly recovered in all organs after restoring irrigation. Leaf proline concentration was 20 times higher at RDI, but decreased by 50% just 1 day after rehydration. Mild-to-moderate RDI resulted in water savings of 54–80%, but a 0–40% reduction in the percentage of shippable trees at 120 DAG; the biological responses were mainly related to the RDI duration. The production of container-grown citrus nursery trees in greenhouses could greatly benefit from the use of RDI, without major negative effects on tree quality.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) for granting a doctorate scholarship to the first author (Process 2006/01470-7) and for additional research aid (Process 2006/01469-9). We also thank SaniCitrus Mudas Cítricas for technical support; Dr. Alessandro Rodrigues for supportive help; Dr. Lilian Amorin, Dr. Victor Alexandre Vitorello, Dr. Carlos Guilherme Silveira Pedreira, Dr. Luiz Roberto Angelocci, and Dr. Ricardo Ferraz de Oliveira (Universidade de São Paulo) for providing equipment and for suggestions for this study.

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  1. Eduardo A. Girardi

    Present address: Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura, Rua Embrapa, Cruz das Almas, BA, 44380-000, Brazil

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias, 11, Piracicaba, SP, 13418-900, Brazil

    Eduardo A. Girardi, Rubens D. Coelho, Hilton T. Z. do Couto & Francisco de Assis A. Mourão Filho

  2. Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, 321, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil

    Andréa D. Brandão & Marcos S. Buckeridge

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  1. Eduardo A. Girardi
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  2. Andréa D. Brandão
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Correspondence to Francisco de Assis A. Mourão Filho.

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Girardi, E.A., Brandão, A.D., Coelho, R.D. et al. Regulated deficit irrigation benefits the production of container-grown citrus nursery trees. Trees 32, 1751–1766 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-018-1748-2

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