Alleviating the adverse effects of deficit irrigation in Flame seedless grapevine via Paulsen interstock

Using interstock with a potential genetic base is considered more recent and sustainable strategy for mitigating the water deficit. This investigation was carried out on transplant of Flame seedless (Vitis vinifera) grapevine grafted onto two rootstocks namely; Freedom (Vitis champinii x 1613C) and 1103Paulsen (vitis berlandieri x Vitis rupestris) with or without 1103Paulsen as interstock to determine its performance under deficit irrigation condition (50% of field capacity). The results indicated that Paulsen as rootstock or as interstock significantly increased the growth vigor of Flame seedless scion as well as the leaf content of total proline, phenols and sugars. Paulsen rootstock has decreased stomatal conductance, leaf transpiration rate and increased diffusion resistance under 50% deficit irrigation compared with grafting on Freedom rootstock. Moreover, Paulsen as interstock for Flame seedless grafted onto Freedom rootstock significantly increased relative water content accompanied by an increase in thickness of leaf anatomical characters such as midvein, lamina, palisade, xylem and phloem tissue under deficit irrigation compared with grafts without Paulsen interstock. This study suggests that using Paulsen as interstock, can be an adaptation strategy for water stress through controlling in some morphological, chemical physiological and anatomical responses of scion.

SECAMENTO PARCIAL DA ZONA RADICULAR NA BANANEIRA ‘GRAND NAINE’ NO SEMIÁRIDO DO NORTE DE MINAS GERAIS

SECAMENTO PARCIAL DA ZONA RADICULAR NA BANANEIRA ‘GRAND NAINE’ NO SEMIÁRIDO DO NORTE DE MINAS GERAIS EUGÊNIO FERREIRA COELHO1; DIONEI LIMA SANTOS2; ARIANE CASTRICINI3; JOSÉ CARLOS LOPES DE LIMA4; JOÃO BATISTA RIBEIRO DA SILVA REIS3 1Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura, Rua Embrapa s/n, Caixa Postal 007, CEP 44380-000, Cruz das Almas, BA, Brasil, [email protected] . 2Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará, Campus Conceição do Araguaia, Avenida Couto Magalhães, Nº 1649, Setor Universitário, 68540-000, Conceição do Araguaia, PA, Brasil, [email protected]. 3Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária de Minas Gerais, Rod. MGT 122, km 155, CEP: 39525-000 – Nova Porteirinha, MG, Brasil, [email protected], [email protected]. 4Mestrando do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Agrícola da Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Campus Cruz das Almas, CEP 44380-000, Cruz das Almas, BA, Brasil, [email protected]. 1 RESUMO A irrigação com déficit que permite a redução de até 50% do dispêndio de água é uma alternativa cuja viabilidade deve ser uma meta de alcance nas pesquisas. Portanto, este trabalho objetivou definir a viabilidade do uso do método do secamento parcial da zona radicular para a bananeira cultivar ‘Grand Naine’ nas condições edafoclimáticas do Norte de Minas Gerais. O estudo avaliou três frequências de alternância do lado irrigado da fileira de plantas somadas à condição de irrigação de um só lado, todos com redução de 50% da lâmina de irrigação calculada e com ambos os lados da fileira de plantas irrigados com 100% da lâmina calculada. Foram avaliados os indicadores de manejo de água do solo e a condutância estomática das folhas dos tratamentos, além das variáveis de produção e de qualidade de frutos. Os resultados indicaram a viabilidade do uso do secamento parcial da zona radicular para a bananeira cultivar ‘Grand Naine’ com redução da lâmina de irrigação de 50% e frequência de alternância do lado irrigado da fileira de plantas de 7 e 14 dias. A qualidade pós-colheita dos frutos não foi influenciada pelos estresses hídricos temporários do solo resultantes dos tratamentos. Palavras-chave: Musa spp., déficit hídrico, manejo da irrigação. COELHO, E. F.; SANTOS, D. L.; CASTRICINI, A.; DE LIMA, J. C. L.; REIS, J. B. R. DA S. PARTIAL ROOT-ZONE DRYING FOR BANANA ‘GRAND NAINE’ IN THE SEMI-ARID OF THE NORTHERN OF MINAS GERAIS 2 ABSTRACT The deficit irrigation allows the reduction of about 50% of the water use and is an alternative whose feasibility should be a goal for research. Thus, this work aimed to define the feasibility of using of the partial root-zone drying for banana cv Grand Naine under the edaphoclimatic conditions of the Northern of Minas Gerais. The study evaluated three frequencies of irrigated-side shifting of plant row, added up to one-sided irrigation condition, all sides with reduction of 50% of the irrigation blade calculated and with both sides of the plants row irrigated with 100% of the irrigation blade calculated. Soil and water management indicators and leaf stomatal conductance of the treatments were evaluated and variables of production and post-harvest fruit quality, as well. Results indicated the feasibility of the use of partial root-zone drying for banana cv grand Naine with 50% reduction of irrigation blade and frequencies of 7 and 14 days for irrigated-side shifting of plant row. The post-harvest fruit quality was not influenced by the transient water stress provided by treatments. Keywords: Musa spp., water deficit, irrigation management.

Evaluating the Efficiency of Crushed Gravel Filters around Field Drains

Engineers have employed various ways to protect drain openings from the entry of sediment with varying degrees of success. This study aims to compare and evaluate the hydraulic performance and efficiency of using natural graded gravel filter and crushed gravel filter in drainage systems. An aquifer tank (sand tank) 70 cm long, 50 cm wide and 80 cm high, a perforated drain pipe of 50 mm diameter was used in the laboratory work. The laboratory study was performed with two types of soil: loam and loamy sand. These two soils were used with the two types of gravel filters after taking the particle size distribution test for the two soils. For each case, the inflow was applied to the model from the soil surface (to represent irrigation condition) and from the sides of the tank (to represent sub –surface flow condition and effluence of the groundwater). Each case involved ten runs; for each run, discharge, total head loss, and amount of sediment were recorded. It was found that crushed gravel filter would work similarly to natural graded gravel filter after a certain time from the beginning of runs. It was also found that the discharge and sediment when using crushed gravel filter were close to or equal to that with natural graded gravel filter. The hydraulic conductivity and the exit gradient values were calculated in this research. It was found that their values were so different between the two types of filters, but at the end of the laboratory work, the hydraulic conductivity would be approximately the same. The exit gradient of crushed gravel filter was lower than that of natural graded gravel filter due to the large pores between the filter particles. Finally, the results showed that, it is possible to use crushed gravel filter material in drainage systems, which is less costly and easier to place than natural graded gravel filter.

Response of Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) to nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer at Wag-Lasta Areas of Eastern Amhara, Ethiopia

Background: Production and productivity of potato in Ethiopia is far below the world average due to soil fertility problem, pest, disease, and agronomic factors. Nutrient depletion due to soil erosion is a serious problem in Ethiopian highlands. Annually, 122 kg ha-1 nitrogen, 13 kg ha-1 phosphorous and 82 kg ha-1 potasium were estimated to deplete from Ethiopia (Haileslassie et al., 2005). The essential nutrients like, nitrogen and phosphorus are the most important influential nutrient for the production of potato but they are deficient in most Ethiopian soils and thus an application of these nutrients could increase significantly the crop yields. In this context, an experiment was conducted at Sekota and Lasta Lalibela districts (Woleh and Kechin Abeba irrigation command areas) of eastern Amhara, Ethiopia to investigate the effects of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers for yield and yield component of potato under irrigation condition. Methods: Four rates of nitrogen (0, 46, 92, and 138 kg N kg ha-1) and four rates of phosphorus (0, 23, 46, and 69 Kg P2O5 kg ha-1) were combined in the factorial arrangement and laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. Results: The result of the study revealed that nitrogen and phosphorus had a significant effect on plant height, marketable, and total yield of potato at Kechin Abeba. But phosphorus did not show a significant effect on plant height and unmarketable yield at Sekota district of Woleh irrigation command area. The highest yield 45.55 t ha-1 was obtained from in combined application of 138 N and 23 P2O5 in Lalibela and 17.12 t ha-1 was obtained from in combined application of 138 N kg ha-1 and 46 P2O5 kg ha-1 from Sekota districts of Woleh irrigation command area. Conclusion: The application of 138 kg ha-1 N with 23 kg ha-1 P2O5 is the appropriate rates for optimum productivity of Potato at Lalibela (Kechin Abeba) and Sekota (Woleh) irrigation schemes and the same agro-ecology.