Water Management of Horticultural Crops

Water Management of Horticultural
Crops
Water Management of Horticultural Crops
Crop water requirement refers to the actual water needs for

evapotranspiration (ET) which are related to soil type and plant growth, and
primarily depend on crop and development and climatic factors which are
closely related to climatic demand.
Irrigation requirements are primarily determined by crop water

requirements, but also depend on the characteristics of the irrigation system,
management practices, and the soil characteristics in the irrigated area.
Water is essential for vegetable crops. It is absorbed by plant roots from the
soil through process of diffusion and osmosis.
Besides absorption of water and translocation of nutrients from soil, water

also influence the photosynthesis, respiration, transpiration, nutrient
utilization and cell division.
Thus the crop plants require water almost throughout the growing season.
The water requirement varies with crop species and growth stage of the
crop.
What is irrigation?
Irrigation is defined as the artificial application of water to land for growing

crops. It is a profession as well as a science. A crop requires certain amount of
water at certain fixed intervals throughout its period of growth. In tropical
region heat and light are available in abundance, but the third, that is, moisture
needs to be supplemented frequently by artificial application of water.
When irrigation is needed?
When rainfall is insufficient to meet the water requirement of crops throughout

their period of growth, need for irrigation water is unavoidable. Where rainfall
is sufficient but is not uniform, concentrated as it usually is in monsoon
months, there is acute requirement of irrigation in other periods.
Advantages of irrigation
Advantages of irrigation can be direct as well as indirect.
I. Direct Benefits
1. The grower has many choices of crops and varieties and can go for multiple
cropping for cultivation.
2. Crop plants respond to fertilizer and other inputs and there by productivity
is high.
3. Quality of the crop is improved.
4. Higher economic return and employment opportunities.
5. Plantation is raised along the banks of canals and field boundaries.
6. Domestic water supply, hydel power generation at dam site and means of
transport where navigation is possible.
7. Prevention of damage through flood.
II. Indirect Benefits
1. Increase in gross domestic product of the country, revenue, employment, land

value, higher wages to farm labor, agro-based industries and groundwater
storage.
2. General development of other sectors and development of the country.
Disadvantages of irrigation:
Irrigation is associated with the following disadvantages:
1. Over-irrigation coupled with poor drainage and seepage in an area where

water table is high, leads to water logging of the area. Crop yield is drastically
reduced as a result.
2. Salinization problems.
Rainfall and irrigation requirement
Rainfall (cm) Irrigation requirement

100 Rainfall needs to be
supplemented by irrigation.
100-50 Rainfall is helpful to crops

but is insufficient. Irrigation
is essential
50-25 Only crops tolerant to
moisture stress can be grown.
Irrigation is essentially
required
Less than 25 No crop can be grown
without irrigation.
The important sources of water to crops are mainly rainfall and irrigation.
The uncertainty of uniformity and level of rainfall increases the importance
of irrigation in vegetable production.
Irrigation is likely to increase size and weight of individual fruit and to

prevent defects such as toughness, strong flavor, poor tip fill and pod fill,
cracking, blossom end rot and misshapen fruit.
On the other hand, it reduces soluble solids in muskmelons and capsaicin in

hot peppers if applied during fruit development.
Problems in irrigation
1.Scarcity of water: According to Population Action International (PAI),

severe water scarcity or hydrological poverty is feared in the world by 2025.
The availability and quality of water are two major factors that affects
irrigation in vegetable crops.
Water demand in relation to crops
•The water demand and response to irrigation varies along with crop species.
•Shallow rooted crops and crops with tap root system such as potatoes and
celery require frequent light irrigation.
•Deep rooted crops and crop with fibrous roots, can use water from a greater
volume of the soil profile and do not require irrigation frequently.
•Vegetable crops differ in their water requirements, and have certain stages
of growth when an adequate supply of water is critical.
•Adequate water is essential for good germination of all crops.
•For flowering crops, such as beans, tomatoes, cucurbits, another critical

period is at flowering, and then also during the development of fruit and/or
seed.
•For heading crops, such as lettuce and cabbage, the most critical period for
water is at heading stage.
•An adequate supply of water is essential for root crops once the roots start
enlarging.
Water demand in relation to soils:
•Soil types differ in their ability to retain water following irrigation and
rainfall.
•Coarse textured soils (sands and coarse sandy loams) held less available soil
moisture. So frequent and light irrigation are required in such soils.
•Fine textured soils retain more available soil moisture. So heavier and less
frequent irrigation required in such soils.
Water demand in relation to growing season:
•The water requirements of crops also vary with the growing season.
•Warm season vegetable crops have higher water requirement in comparison to

cooler season vegetables.
•This is mainly due to high evapotranspiration demand in the warm season.
Irrigation and water requirement under various condition
• Rooting depth
• Critical moisture periods
• Drought tolerance
Irrigation in relation to rooting depth:
•It is important that the soil profile be filled with water during each irrigation
event. Otherwise, frequent light irrigation events result in the formation of
shallow root systems.
•Shallow root systems result in plants being stressed even in short period deficit.
In addition, the plants with shallow root systems are more prone to lodging and
nutrient deficiencies.
•On the other hand, excessive irrigation can leach nutrients from the soil and
encourage the development of disease and nutrient deficiencies.
 Without enough soil moisture, the seed is left partially germinated.
When this is happen no stand or, at best, no complete stand will result.
 A light irrigation immediately after sowing should be applied to settle
the soil around the seeds and to begin seed germination.
 For larger seeded crops, it is desired that irrigation begins a few days
prior to sowing.
 If seeds are slow in emerging from the soil due to cool temperature or
slow germination, then application of light irrigation is needed to
encourage emergence.
Shallow rooted Intermediate ( 90- Deep rooted (
(down to 45-60 120 cm) Deeper than 120
cm) cm)
Cabbage, Beet,beans, Asparagus,
cauliflower, onion, carrots,turnip, tomato,
spinach, lettuce, muskmelons, sweetcorn,pumpki
garlic, broccoli pepper, pea n,watermelon,
winter squash,
sweet potato.
Most vegetable crops are sensitive to drought during two periods:
during harvest and two to three weeks before harvest.
Crops Critical period
Beet, Carrot, Turnip Root enlargement
Cabbage, Cauliflower, Head development

Broccoli, Lettuce
Tomato, Pepper, Brinjal, Flowering, Fruit set and fruit
Cucumber, Melons development
Beans, Peas Flowering and pod
development
Onion Bulb development
Potato Tuber initiation and tuber

development
Irrigation in relation to drought tolerance
•Drought tolerance is an indication of a crops ability to withstand short

periods of drought without significantly reducing yield.
• Vegetable crops vary in their tolerance to drought depending on their

physiology and water requirements.
•Crops with higher drought tolerance can be grown where water

available for irrigation is low and the crop can still give economic yield
if supplement irrigation is provided at critical stage of plant growth.
Water requirement for different of vegetable crops
• Leafy vegetables
• Root, tuber and bulb vegetables
• Fruit and seed vegetables
Leafy Vegetables
Cabbage, lettuce and spinach are planted near in at or field capacity.
Being shallow rooted these crop benefits from frequent irrigation

throughout the season. Since leaf expansion closely related to water
availability, these crops especially cabbage and lettuce are particularly
sensitive to water stress, during the period between head formation and
harvest. Overwatering and irregular watering can result in burst heads.
Broccoli and cauliflower are sensitive to drought stress at all stage of

growths responding with reduced growth and premature.
Root, tuber and bulb vegetables
•In sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots and onions yields depends on the
production and translocation of carbohydrates from the leaf to root or bulb.
•The most sensitive stage of growth generally occurs as these storage organs
enlarge.
•Moisture stress causes the formation of small, woody and poorly flavored
roots, uneven irrigation can lead to misshapen or split roots in carrots,
secondary growth in Irish potatoes, and early bulbing in onions.
Fruit and seed vegetables
•Cucumbers, pumpkins, peas, peppers, tomatoes are most sensitive to

drought stress at flowering and during fruit and seed development.
•Fruit set on these crops can be seriously reduced if water is limiting. An

adequate supply of water during the period of fruit enlargement can
incidence of fruit cracking and blossom end rot in tomatoes.
Methods of irrigation
 Surface irrigation
 Drip or trickle irrigation
 Sprinkler irrigation
 Central pivot system
Choice of method
The choice of method of irrigation depends on several factors

 Natural condition
 Types of crop
 Previous experience with irrigation
 Required labour inputs
 Costs and benefits
Surface irrigation can be used for all types of crops. Sprinkler and drip
irrigation because of their high capital investment per hectare, are mostly used
for high value crops. Drip irrigation is suited to irrigating individual plant. It
is not suitable for close growing crops.
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Water Management of Horticultural

Crop water requirement refers to the actual water needs for

Irrigation requirements are primarily determined by crop water

Besides absorption of water and translocation of nutrients from soil, water

Irrigation is defined as the artificial application of water to land for growing

When irrigation is needed?

When rainfall is insufficient to meet the water requirement of crops throughout

Advantages of irrigation can be direct as well as indirect.

1. Increase in gross domestic product of the country, revenue, employment, land

2. General development of other sectors and development of the country.

Irrigation is associated with the following disadvantages:

1. Over-irrigation coupled with poor drainage and seepage in an area where

Rainfall (cm) Irrigation requirement

100-50 Rainfall is helpful to crops

Irrigation is likely to increase size and weight of individual fruit and to

On the other hand, it reduces soluble solids in muskmelons and capsaicin in

1.Scarcity of water: According to Population Action International (PAI),

Water demand in relation to crops

•Adequate water is essential for good germination of all crops.

•For flowering crops, such as beans, tomatoes, cucurbits, another critical

•Warm season vegetable crops have higher water requirement in comparison to

•This is mainly due to high evapotranspiration demand in the warm season.

Irrigation and water requirement under various condition

Crops Critical period

Beet, Carrot, Turnip Root enlargement

Cabbage, Cauliflower, Head development

Potato Tuber initiation and tuber

•Drought tolerance is an indication of a crops ability to withstand short

• Vegetable crops vary in their tolerance to drought depending on their

•Crops with higher drought tolerance can be grown where water

Cabbage, lettuce and spinach are planted near in at or field capacity.

Being shallow rooted these crop benefits from frequent irrigation

Broccoli and cauliflower are sensitive to drought stress at all stage of

•Cucumbers, pumpkins, peas, peppers, tomatoes are most sensitive to

•Fruit set on these crops can be seriously reduced if water is limiting. An

The choice of method of irrigation depends on several factors

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