Viewpoints

“Great Potential“

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Viewpoints ipoma

Three experts from the international apple industry on water management in fruit growing as the challenge of the future – and possible solutions.

Massimo Tagliavini, full professor at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano and President of the Italian Society of Horticultural Science; Interpoma Award 2022 jury chairman

“The past summer has shown just how urgent this topic is. The goal must be to ensure that almost all the water supplied is absorbed by the tree and does not evaporate or seep away. Sensors that measure the supply of water to the soil and trees are promising. But technologies that serve other purposes also have a positive impact on water demand: anti-hail nets, for example, reduce solar radiation, wind pressure, and thus evaporation, which can lead to water savings of 15-20 percent. Allocating water based on consumption rather than acreage could also be a solution.”

Martin Thalheimer, head of the “Soil, Fertilization, and Irrigation” working group, Laimburg Research Center, Italy; Interpoma Award 2022 jury member

“In the future it will be necessary to adapt irrigation to the plants’ needs and to control it technically. The ‘Smartland’ project, which we created in collaboration with Alperia, makes this possible using soil moisture sensors with automatic data transmission. Findings so far show that the system has great potential to significantly increase the efficiency of water use. But even the most innovative and effective solution will only be successful if it is user-friendly, easy to understand, and affordable.”

Yongbing Yuan, Professor of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, China

“Limited water resources are currently a major challenge for Chinese apple production. At present we use three methods of saving water. Technical methods such as drip irrigation, pipe systems, or underground irrigation are designed to reduce water losses from evaporation, leaks, and runoff. Agronomic methods include using organic matter or non-woven fabric mulches under the trees that slow down evaporation, rootstocks whose roots can absorb water deeper down in the soil, and pit irrigation in drought zones. At the management level, the focus is on optimizing irrigation time based on tree development.”