Quantification of consumptive water use of full-bearing, high-yielding Japanese Plum trees with the HYDRUS-2D model
| dc.contributor.advisor | Jovanovic, Nebo | |
| dc.contributor.author | Mathews, Ubaidullah | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-02-27T10:13:33Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-02-27T10:13:33Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024 | |
| dc.description.abstract | In South Africa, the Japanese plum industry peaked at 87,746 metric tons in 2016 and recently produced 65,258 tons in 2020, with 73% of this output aimed at the export market. Despite its importance, there is a significant lack of data on the water requirements for Japanese plum cultivation, impeding effective water management strategies. This study addresses this gap by analyzing the crop water needs of the 'African Delight' and 'Fortune' cultivars in Robertson and Wellington using the HYDRUS-2D model. Data, including weather conditions, soil properties, and various field measurements, were collected over two seasons. The model's accuracy, with mean absolute errors of 1.45 mm in Wellington and 4.01 mm in Robertson, was evaluated against observed soil water content. Results showed varying water requirements: 'African Delight' in Wellington needed 980 - 1000 mm and in Robertson 1018 - 1030 mm, while 'Fortune' in Robertson required 1017 - 1038 mm. Orchard-specific details include planting densities and yields, with 'African Delight' in Robertson yielding up to 52 t/ha-1, outperforming other sites. Basal crop coefficients (Kcb) ranged from 0.97 to 1.18, and LAI values from 0.54 to 3.19, consistent with international data for high-density plum orchards. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10566/20140 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | University of the Western Cape | |
| dc.subject | Basal crop coefficient | |
| dc.subject | Crop water requirement | |
| dc.subject | Evapotranspiration | |
| dc.subject | Field capacity | |
| dc.subject | Fractional canopy cover | |
| dc.title | Quantification of consumptive water use of full-bearing, high-yielding Japanese Plum trees with the HYDRUS-2D model | |
| dc.type | Thesis |