Effect of soil water content threshold on kiwifruit quality at different growth stages with drip irrigation in the humid area of Southern China

• Published in: Scientia horticulturae Vol. 307; p. 111477
• Main Authors: He, Ziling, Lu, Xiuyuan, Cui, Ningbo, Jiang, Shouzheng, Zheng, Shunsheng, Chen, Fei, Qiu, Rangjian, Liu, Chunwei, Fan, Junliang, Wang, Yaosheng, Jin, Xiuliang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 03.01.2023
• Subjects: Drip irrigation; Irrigation strategy; Kiwifruit quality; Soil water content threshold; Irrigation strategy; Soil water content threshold; Drip irrigation; Kiwifruit quality
• ISSN: 0304-4238; 1879-1018
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scienta.2022.111477

•Effects of soil water content threshold (SWCT) on kiwifruit quality depended on SWCT timing and degree.•SWCT of 55% field capacity (FC) increased fruit volume and fruit weight at bud burst to leafing stage.•SWCT of 65% FC elevated total soluble solids, soluble sugar and solid-acid ratio at fruit growth stage.•SWCT of 60% FC improved firmness, total soluble solids, soluble sugar, vitamin C and solid-acid ratio at fruit maturation stage. Fruit quality as affected by soil water content threshold levels (SWCT) at different growth stages remains largely elusive. Therefore, a drip irrigation experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of SWCT on kiwifruit quality at bud burst to leafing stage (stage I), flowering to fruit set stage (stage II), fruit growth stage (stage III) and fruit maturation stage (stage IV) during 2018 and 2019 in the humid area of southern China, respectively. The results showed that SWCT at stage I mainly affected fruit weight (Fw). I-55% treatment significantly elevated Fw by 11.6%-8.0% (P < 0.05). SWCT at stage II had little effect on fruit quality. SWCT at stage III influenced fruit volume (Fv) and chemical quality. Specifically, Fv was increased by 8.0%-2.2% under III-75% treatment, total soluble solids (TSS), soluble sugar (SS) and solids-acid ratio (SOAR) were increased by 9.4%-10.0% (P < 0.05), 2.4%-5.8% and 7.9%-10.6% (P < 0.05) under III-65% treatment, respectively. SWCT at stage IV impacted fruit firmness (Fn) and chemical quality. IV-60% treatment increased Fn, TSS, SS, VC and SOAR by 5.6%-10.5%, 12.0%-12.6% (P < 0.05), 6.6%-9.1% (P < 0.05), 2.1%-14.0% (P < 0.05), and 8.1%-8.3% (P < 0.05), respectively, which was beneficial to the improvement of nutritional value and taste, and also the storage and transportation of kiwifruit. Collectively, SWCT of 55% FC (field capacity) at stage I or 65% FC at stage III or 60% FC at stage IV was an effective measure to improve the kiwifruit quality.