Deficit Irrigation and Its Implications for HydroSOStainable Almond Production

Iván Francisco García-Tejero,Leontina Lipan,Víctor Hugo Durán Zuazo,I Jančo,F Hernández,Saray Gutiérrez-Gordillo,Belén Cárceles Rodríguez,Ángel Antonio Carbonell-Barrachina

doi:10.3390/agronomy10111632

Abstract

Deficit irrigation (DI) strategies are considered essential in many arid and semi-arid areas of Mediterranean countries for proper water management under drought conditions. This fact is even more necessary in crops such as almond (Prunus dulcis Mill.), which in the last recent years has been progressively introduced in irrigated areas. An essential aspect to be considered would be the ability to improve fruit-quality parameters when DI strategies are imposed, which can boost the final almond price and ensure the sustainability and competitiveness of this crop. This work examines the effects of sustained deficit irrigation (SDI) on three almond cultivars (Marta, Guara, and Lauranne) on parameters related to almond functionality, aroma and sensory profile, which consequently influence its marketability and consumers acceptance. SDI strategies allowed the improvement of physical parameters such as unit weight, kernel length, kernel thickness or color. Moreover, higher total phenolic compounds, organic acids and sugars were found in SDI almonds. Finally, the highest concentrations of volatile compounds were obtained under SDI, this being a clear advantage in relation to almond flavor. Thus, moderate SDI strategy offered relevant improvements in parameters regarding the marketability, by enhancing the final added value of hydroSOStainable almonds with respect to those cultivated under full irrigation conditions.

Highlights

Water is the most limiting natural resource for sustainable agricultural development in arid and semi-arid areas of Mediterranean and under climate change scenarios [1]
Development in a semiarid Mediterranean environment; the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of sustained deficit irrigation strategies and almond cultivars on the main physicoMaterial and Methods chemical parameters involved in nut sensory profile and improvements in marketability
This work highlights the main effects of irrigation in three almond cultivars in terms of the morphological, physicochemical and sensory parameters when this crop is subjected to sustained-deficit irrigation treatments

Summary

Introduction

Water is the most limiting natural resource for sustainable agricultural development in arid and semi-arid areas of Mediterranean and under climate change scenarios [1]. Within these scenarios, implementing drought-tolerant crops in irrigated zones and the application of deficit irrigation (DI) strategies are being considered, especially in the last few years [5,6]. Developing water-saving strategies in Mediterranean woody crops involves many considerations relative to environmental constraints, sustainable yields, and product marketability. These must be deeply studied, establishing the most profitable strategies to maximize the fruit production, minimizing the irrigation water consumption and maintaining (or even improving) the fruit quality. In production terms, relevant differences are found, with 1,872,500 and 339,033 t for the USA and Spain, respectively

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