Irrigation of Fruit Trees – Established Orchard Sam Birrell, Netafim Agronomist International Pink Lady Alliance Workshop, Chile

2 AGENDA Water Budgets Evapotranspiration Crop Co-efficient Crop Water Use Irrigation Scheduling When Do I Irrigate? Monitor

3 Water Budgets Goodwin, Victorian DPI

Evapotranspiration (ETo)

Crop Co-efficient FAO

6 Crop Co-efficient K cb = Crop Co-efficient ET o = Evapotranspiration EAS = Effective area of shade Crop Water Use Goodwin et al

7 Crop Water Use  Crop Co-efficient  Crop Water Use K cb = Crop Co-efficient ET o = Evapotranspiration EAS = Effective area of shade 1.3 X 0.4 = X 8(mm) = 4.16 (mm)

Irrigation Scheduling  Run Time: How Long?

When do I irrigate ? Drippers wet approximately 1/3 of the area ( W.A. ) Water contained in a 50 cm root zone ( R.Z. ) =RAW X R.Z. X W.A =.3 X 50 X.33 = 4.9 mm Moisture contained within the root zone or RAW of partial coverage irrigation system

When do I irrigate ? System application rate  System Application = emitter flow rate row spacing X emitter spacing If Row spacing = 6 M Emitter output = 2.3 L/H Emitter spacing = 0.5 M 2.3 System Application = 6 X 0.5 = 0.76 mm/H

When do I irrigate ? Run Time  Water used by the plant – = 4.9 mm  System application rate – = 0.76mm / H No. hours to irrigate = 4.9 / 0.76 = 6.5 hours

When do I irrigate ? EtEt X KcKc MonthSONDJFMA Monthly E t Crop Coefficient K c Daily water use mm Period between irrigations = RAW / Daily water use = 4.9 / 3.3 = 1.4 days ( every day )

13 Monitor  Moisture Probes

14 Monitor

15 Monitor

16 Miscellaneous  Sub surface drip

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