Impact of sustained-deficit irrigation on tree growth, mineral nutrition, fruit yield and quality of mango in Spain

Introduction Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is a crop of major economic importance in the provinces of Malaga and Granada (SE Spain). A field experiment on mango trees was designed to determine the optimum irrigation scheduling over three seasons. The aim was to evaluate the impact of sustained-deficit irrigation (SDI) strategies on fruit yield and quality, tree growth, and mineral status under a Mediterranean subtropical climate. Materials and methods. Three sustained-deficit irrigation treatments were applied to mango trees: SDI-1 (33% ETc), SDI-2 (50% ETc) and SDI-3 (75% ETc). The stress treatments were compared with a control (C-100) irrigated at 100% ETC. The response of fruit yield, number of fruits, fruit size and quality, and macro- and micronutrients in leaves was determined. Results. The SDI-2 treatment proved to be the most appropriate SDI treatment, since it allowed the trees to reach the highest yield (18.4 t·ha-1) and the best water-use efficiency (7.14 kg·m-3). However, fruit size was higher for trees of the SDI-3 and C-100 treatments, since they reached significantly higher length and width. The total soluble solids were affected by the SDI treatments only for one year, being highest in fruits from trees of the SDI-1 and SDI-2 treatments. Macro- and micronutrients in the leaves were affected by the SDI treatment only for the P, Mg and Mn contents. Conclusion The SDI treatment providing 50% of ETC is recommended for mango orchards in order to attain the highest yields and the best water-use efficiency under a Mediterranean subtropical climate. Introduction. Le manguier (Mangifera indica L.) est une plante de grande importance économique dans les provinces de Malaga et Grenade (sud-est de l’Espagne). Une expérimentation en vergers de manguiers a été conçue pour établir un calendrier d’irrigation optimale programmé sur trois campagnes. L’objectif a été d’évaluer l’impact de stratégies d’irrigation à déficit soutenu (IDS) sur le rendement et la qualité des fruits, la croissance des arbres et le statut minéral des manguiers sous un climat méditerranéen subtropical. Matériel et méthodes. Trois traitements d’irrigation à déficit soutenu ont été appliqués à des manguiers : IDS-1 (33 % de l’ETC), IDS-2 (50 % de l’ETC), et IDS-3 (75 % de l’ETC). Les traitements de stress ont été comparés à un traitement témoin (C-100) recevant une irrigation correspondant à 100 % de ETC. La réponse a été déterminée à partir du rendement et du nombre de fruits, des taill