Water Requirements of Date palm Offshoots of Two Tissue-cultured cultivars (Mejhol and Khalas) Planted under climate conditions at mid Iraq 1- Determination of reference and actual consumptive use of date palm off shoots tissue-cultured

Abstract

This study was conducted at Al- Kut date Palms station located between longitudes 44o 32 ' and 46o 36 ' East and latitudes 31o 57 ' 32o 31 ' North "during 2014-2013 in loamy soils, to study the water requirements. for date palm offshoot variety (Majhol and Khalas) Palm propagated by tissue culture. The drip irrigation system was used under the climatic conditions of central Iraq, the study of the effect of the ratio of moisture depletion from available water and leaching requirements ratio L.R., and Palm varietyon actual water consumption ETa for palm propagation by tissue culture, and planted under the climatic conditions of the Wasit Governorate, and also study the impact of the aforementioned study factors on the distribution of moisture and salts in study site soil, as well as calculate reference water consumption ETo, by using five empirical equations (evaporation basin, Blaney–criddle, Najib kharufah, Jensen–Hess, amended Penman-Monteith), Depending on the climatic data of meteorological station in Kut. The results showed that the values of the reference water consumption of ETo for palm offshoots calculated by five experimental equations (evaporation basin Epan, Najib kharufah equation, Blaney–criddle equation, Jensen–Hess equation, Penman-Monteith equation FAO), during 13 months were 2898.7, 3162.3, 2536.1, 3124.5, 3020.5 مم, respectively. The results also showed the reference water consumption annual ETo for cultivated offshoots ranged from 2213.5 مم/year that calculated with equation Blaney – criddle to 2806.5 مم/year calculated with Jensen – Hess equation. The actual annual water consumption ETa for palm offshoots, ranged from 858.3 مم/year of treatments D2LR1V1, D2LR1V2, and 1019.9 مم/year of treatments D1LR2V1 and D1LR2V2.