(215) Effects of Groundcover and Drip Irrigation on Mineral Nutrition and Productivity of Sweet Cherry

Abstract

The effects of in-row groundcover and drip irrigation on mineral nutrition and productivity of sweet cherry are largely unknown in the Pacific Northwest. A field experiment was initialized on the Mel Omeg orchard at The Dalles, Ore., in 2005. This orchard had been managed under microsprinkler irrigation and in-row herbicide application since its establishment in 1998. Two irrigation systems (drip irrigation, microsprinkler irrigation) and four in-row ground management systems (straw mulch, white fabric cover, black fabric cover, and no cover with herbicide applications) were evaluated in a split-plot design with four replicates. Drip irrigation reduced irrigation water consumption by 74% relative to microsprinkler during the entire season from May to September. Compared with no cover, black fabric lowered water use by 8%, and straw mulch and white fabric had a 1% to 3% reduction in water use. Fruit yield was similar for drip irrigation and microsprinkler. There was a trend of yield increase with groundcovers relative to no cover. Fruit firmness, size, and sugar content did not differ regardless of irrigation or groundcover systems. Drip irrigation increased marketable fruits by 5% (absolute value) via reducing fruit surface pitting compared with microsprinkler. Differences in soil-available N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Zn, Mn, Cu, pH, and organic matter were negligible between the two irrigation systems and among the four groundcover treatments. However, drip irrigation resulted in slightly lower concentrations of N, P, K, Ca, B, and Mn in leaf than microsprinkler. Overall, our results suggest that in-row straw mulch and fabric covers and drip irrigation could be feasible management alternatives for sweet cherry production in the Pacific Northwest.