Assessing water requirement of orange trees using sap flow measurements in Narkhed-Pandhurna critical zone observatory (CZO) in central India

Ashutosh Kumar Mishra Ashutosh Kumar Mishra,Ramesh Janipella Ramesh Janipella,Saptarshi D Purkayastha Saptarshi D Purkayastha,Pandurang Balwant Pandurang Balwant,Paras R Pujari Paras R Pujari,Rafat Quamar Rafat Quamar,Jyothi Veligeti Jyothi Veligeti,Shalini Dhyani Shalini Dhyani,Parikshit Verma Parikshit Verma

doi:10.54386/jam.v23i1.83

Ashutosh Kumar Mishra Ashutosh Kumar Mishra, Ramesh Janipella Ramesh Janipella + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.54386/jam.v23i1.83

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Abstract

 We used thermal dissipation method for sap flux measurements in orange trees to assess its water requirement in Narkhed-Pandhurna region. Thermal Dissipation Probe (TDP) sensors were installed in 5-year old (young) and 15-year old (mature) orange trees to measure the diurnal sap flux variations in trees during November 21, 2019, to January 31, 2020 (71 days). The results show that the maximum daily water uptake by the 5-year old tree was 1.1 L observed on 39th day of measurement (December 29, 2019) and in the 15-year old tree it was 5.0 L, and it observed on 38th day (December 28, 2019) of measurement. The cumulative water uptake during the study period by the 5-year old tree was 49.0 L, and the 15-year old tree consumed 257.4 L of water. The results were compared with the recommended irrigational values of Indian Horticulture Board (IHB), Government of India (GoI) and Groundwater Survey and Development Agency (GSDA), Government of Maharashtra (GoMH) for orange orchards. The initial investigation shows that recommended guidelines for irrigation of orange trees are exorbitantly high and needs to be revised. The sap flow methods are more precise that can measure sap flow at a very short interval and can generate a time series of data. It can be used to revise the guidelines with the aim to conserve water and propose precision water irrigation for the study area in particular and different agro-climatic zones of the country in general.

Highlights

The present study focuses on the measurement of sap flow in orange orchards in the N-P CZO water shed to verify the adequacy of the recommendations proposed by Indian Horticulture Board (IHB), Government of India (GoI) and Groundwater Survey and Development Agency (GSDA), Government of Maharashtra (GoMH)
The maximum dailywater uptake by the 5-year old tree was 1.1 L observed on 39th day of measurement (December 29, 2019) and in the 15-year old tree it was 5.0 L, and it was observed on 38th day (December 28, 2019) of measurement
The results show that the rate of sap flow in the orange tree is directly proposal to the ambient air temperature and solar radiation and inversely proposal to the relative humidity (Fig 4)

Summary

Introduction

It is well established that land-atmospheric processes play a crucial role in regulating our climate (Sawyer et al, 2002; Seneviratne et al, 2008; Arneth et al, 2012; Guo & Lin, 2016; Bonan, 2016).To bring more focus on these processes, and integrating studies that have been carried out byecologist, hydrologist, geomorphologist, pedologist, geochemist, and climate scientist, the umbrella-term ‘critical zone’ was coined and defined by National Research Council, USA (NRC, 2001).the earth’s critical zone is defined as the zone that lies between bedrock and tree canopy. The present study focuses on the measurement of sap flow in orange orchards in the N-P CZO water shed to verify the adequacy of the recommendations proposed by Indian Horticulture Board (IHB), Government of India (GoI) and Groundwater Survey and Development Agency (GSDA), Government of Maharashtra (GoMH).

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