Saving Water in Chufa Cultivation by Using Flat Raised Beds and Drip Irrigation

Abstract

Chufa, also known as tigernut, is a typical crop in Valencia, Spain, where it is cultivated in ridges with furrow irrigation. This paper examines the effects of the planting strategy (PS) and irrigation system (IS) on yield and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) on the basis of the results from a two-year study. The authors analyzed three PS, ridges with a plant row (R) and flat raised beds containing two (B2) or three (B3) plant rows and compared two IS, furrow (FI) and drip irrigation (DI). Irrigation was based on the volumetric soil water content (VSWC), continuously monitored with capacitance sensors. Each irrigation event started when the VSWC in R dropped to 60 or 80% of the field capacity in FI or DI, respectively. Beds and ridges were irrigated simultaneously and for the same duration. There were differences among IS and PS, with DI and B2 obtaining the highest yield. On average, DI produced higher IWUE values than FI; the highest IWUE was obtained in R for DI, and the lowest IWUE was obtained in R for FI. Thus, modifications to the PS and the IS in chufa cultivation will increase IWUE and lead to major water savings.