ENERGY CONSUMED, WATER PRODUCTIVITY AND VITAMIN (C) CONCENTRATION OF ORANGE CROP UNDER DIFFERENT IRRIGATION SYSTEMS

Abstract

Food and water consider the key to life. The aim of this study is to increase water productivity and enhancing the quality of the orange crop (Citrus sinensis Osbeck L.). To a chive that aim, four irrigation systems (conventional surface irrigation (SI), furrow irrigation (FI), surface drip irrigation (SDI) and subsurface drip irrigation (SSDI) under heavy soil (clay) at the north of delta Egypt. Soil water content (SWC), soil temperature and soil EC were measured during the growing season under irrigation systems. At the end of the growth season yield and vitamin C were measured for three randomized samples for each treatment. Also, the energy consumed was estimated for each irrigation system. The results shown that the highest values of soil water content at depth 10 cm and along the distance of 200 cm from steam of tree were achieved under SSDI and SDI which increased SWC by 1.7 % and 1.2 % than SI, respectively and the lowest values of SWC was obtain at FI which decreased by 13.2 % than SI, while, at depth 50 cm the highest values of SWC were under SI, applying FI, SSDI and SDI systems decreased the SWC by 16.9 %, 14.7 % and 7.3% than FI, respectively. At depth 100 cm the highest value of SWC was 31.9 (cm3 cm 3) under FI, which increased by 40.2 % than SI, followed by SSDI and SDI by values 27.9% and 7.7%, respectively. Moreover, the results shown that, subsurface drip irrigation system (SSDI) gave the highest orange yield (6.1 Mg fed-1), followed by the surface drip irrigation (SDI) system of 6 Mg fed-1, while the lowest yield was obtained under SI system (5.2Mg fed -1). FI resulted in the higher yield compared with SI (5.4 Mg fed-1) but at the same time, the lower yield as compared with both the SSDI and SDI systems. On the other hand, SSDI system increased the yield by 40.1 %, followed by SDI by 25.8 % and FI by 8.6 % than SI. The highest concentration of vitamin C was 23.4 mg / 100g under SSDI, followed by values 16.83 and 14.52 (mg/ 100g) under SDI and FI, respectively and the lowest concentration was 12.11 under SI. The highest value of consumptive energy was 1044.4 (kwh / fed. season) achieved under SI, followed by 696.3 (kwh / fed. season) under FI and the lowest values were 613.1 and 642.3 (kwh / fed. season) under SSDI and SI, respectively.