Variations of Non-Water Stressed Baselines for Dwarf Cherry Trees Under Different Irrigation Regimes

The experiment aimed at determining the non-water stressed baselines for dwarf cherry trees to quantify crop water stress index (CWSI). The trees were irrigated by drip irrigation and subjected to two irrigation regimes which irrigation was applied when 40 and 60% of the available water holding capacity was consumed, and five irrigation levels (100, 75, 50, 25 and 0% replenishment of soil water depleted). The non-water stressed baselines and stressed baselines were determined empirically from measurements of canopy temperatures, ambient air temperatures and vapor pressure deficit values and the crop water stress index (CWSI) was calculated. A small difference was found in the non-water stresses baselines. Trends in CWSI values were consistent with the soil water contents induced by the deficit irrigations. The seasonal mean CWSI values changed as 0,13 and 0,10 under full irrigation in 40% irrigation regime and also 0,17 and 0,10 in 60% irrigation regime for 2005 and 2006, respectively. The seasonal CWSI and mean CWSI values before irrigation were close to each irrigation regime.