Effect of water deficit irrigation on vegetative growth of young cheery trees (Prunus avium L.)

Vigorous cherry tree orchards are less precocious and productive, and difficult to manage. Regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) can be used as a strategy to control excessive vigor. In order to evaluate vegetative growth a two year RDI experiment was conducted in a commercial Bing sweet cherry orchard, planted in dry shallow soil with drip irrigation. The treatments were as follows: T1 = 100%, T2 = 75% and 13 = 50% of full ETc. Terminal and vigorous shoot length, leaf area, leaf dry weight and trunk cross-sectional area were evaluated. Plant water status was periodically measured by midday stem water potential and soil water content by gravimetric techniques. In T3 shoot length, number and length of internodes, number, area, and dry weight of leaves, and trunk area significantly decreased. In T2 shoot, internode and trunk area growth decreased, but the other variables were lest; affected. Midday stem water potential resulted a good indicator of plant water status. In cheery orchards a carefully managed RDI can be used to control vigor, saving significant amounts of water at the same time.