Irrigation of ornamental plants nurseries because of the diversity of species grown there, requires considerable water supplies. The using of inappropriate intensity of irrigation in relation to water needs of plants is the cause of the deterioration of their quality and requires a significant investment of work related to control of their growth. Suitable irrigation enables the control of plant growth and development and also the reduction of water resources used and the costs associated with the labour. As a consequence, it may affect significantly the improvement of the competitiveness of the nursery and the reduction of the environment hazard caused by unreasonably high use of natural water resources. Regulated Deficit Irrigation (RDI) is a method consists in limitation or in complete cessation of irrigation during the appropriate plant development phase, in a way that it does not cause damage, deterioration of quality, flowering, crop yield and post-harvest stability. The periodic water deficit applied at the appropriate time and with suitable intensity allows to control plant growth and development, and also reduces water using during their growing significantly. This method has proved to be effective in reducing water using and improving yield in many species of fruit plants. The ...
Poland has one of the smallest fresh water resources in Europe. Due to variability of Polish climate, irrigation became an indispensable element of intensive horticultural production. Recent study has shown that Polish farmers do not use any criteria to estimate plant water requirements for controlling irrigation, which leads to waste of water and energy. This is because userfriendly technologies enabling rational use of water resources are not easily available. The objective of the project is to develop an effective system for control of irrigation in ornamental nurseries, based on measurements of plant parameters, soil conditions and climatic data. To realize this approache the crop coefficient (k) for several important nursery species should be determined. Also the method of restricted irrigation (Regulated Deficit Irrigation - RDI) to control plant shape and plant quality will be tested on several important nursery cultivars. Additionally quantitative and qualitative evaluation of drainage water originated from container ornamental nurseries will be performed. The technology developed within the project will become the key element of the strategy of rational plant irrigation in ornamental nurseries. This is novel, hitherto not implemented approach to the problem of rational irrigation water use in plant production ...
