Sustainability of Rain-Fed Fig Production (Ficus carica) under Supplemental Irrigation in Semi-Arid Regions

In arid and semi-arid regions, inadequate rainfall necessitates supplemental irrigation to meet crop water requirements. Selecting the appropriate method is crucial for success. A two-years field experiment was conducted in Kharameh Region, Iran, to investigate the effect of different supplemental irrigation methods on fig tree yield, physiological response, and water productivity. Three irrigation methods including flood irrigation, subsurface drip irrigation, micro jet irrigation, and no supplemental irrigation (control) were applied as four treatments in five replications. Results showed that subsurface and micro jet irrigation significantly increased leaves width by ۱۸.۲%, shoot length by ۲۷%, and shoot diameter by ۱۳%. Micro jet irrigation also increased the amounts of chlorophyll in fig leaves by ۱۴%, the average of total fruit numbers by ۱۳۴%, and the average of total fruit weight by ۵۴% as compared to the average of other treatments treatments. Furthermore, the highest level of water productivity were in micro jet irrigation techniques, while it dropped by ۴۰% with subsurface drip irrigation. The practical implications of this study involve boosting fig yield, refining water management strategies, increasing drought resistance, analyzing economic feasibility, gauging sustainability, and supporting the sharing of knowledge and skills for fig cultivation in semi-arid areas.

کلیدواژه ها:

Fig fruit quality ، Kharameh region ، Micro jet irrigation ، Subsurface irrigation ، Water scarcity ، Water productivity.