Research

Irrigation and Nutrition

    Water availability was identified as one of the top five risks facing our industry in the future.  The Western and Eastern Cape provinces are water scarce; climate change is driving a drying trend and competition for water is increasing.

    The crop production water strategy involves 1) determining how much water highly productive deciduous fruit trees use, 2) conducting research on various water-saving technologies and 3) conducting research to show growers the negative effects of over-irrigation on production and quality.

    We are currently co-funding two projects with the Water Research Commission to determine the water requirements of high-yielding plum and pear orchards.

    Engineering consulting firm Zutari was commissioned to develop a water strategy for the South African deciduous fruit industry incorporating the results of a completed study that characterized groundwater availability and groundwater use within the main Hortgro production areas. A study by Daniël Viljoen showed that moderate to severe water deficit has little impact on the storability of Fuji and Golden Delicious apples but might increase internal browning in Cripps Pink apples.

    EXPERTISE: IRRIGATION AND NUTRITION WORKGROUP

    Research Team

    • Prof Wiehann Steyn
    • Prof Nebo Jovanovic
    • Dr Johan van Zyl
    • Dr Eduard Hoffman
    • Dr Sebinasi Dzikiti
    • Mr Daniël Viljoen
    • Ms Lizanne Smit
    • Dr James Cullis
    • Mr Ubaidullah Mathews – MSc student
    • Mr Wasim Mooajee – Honours student

    Projects list

    • Water status quo assessment and recommendations for a water response strategy for the deciduous fruit industry in South Africa (J Cullis)
    • Spatial and temporal analysis of evapotranspiration, crop yield and water productivities in major fruit production sub-regions of the Western Cape (A van Niekerk, W Mooajee)
    • Response of apple tree performance and root development to low-flow drip irrigation (J van Zyl and E Hoffman)
    • Quantifying the water requirements of high performing pear orchards (S Dzikiti, et al.)
    • Characterization of groundwater availability and groundwater use within the main Hortgro production areas, including recharge and run-off assessments (L Smit)
    • Water use of high-performing full-bearing Japanese plum (Prunus salicina) in two major production regions of the Western Cape (South Africa) (N Jovanovic and U Mathews)
      • The effect of a water deficit on fruit tree phenology, fruit production, fruit quality and storability of Fuji and Cripps' Pink apples (D Viljoen) - see Quality Management
    • Sensitivity of various apple rootstocks to water stress (S Midgley and L Muchena) - see Rootstock and nursery tree quality
    • Hortgro Technical Symposium – 3 June 2024
    << Back to Previous Page
    Back To Top