Consumptive water use and irrigation performance of strawberries

• Strawberry irrigation requirements were determined in the Doñana N.P. surroundings.
• Kc values higher than those described previously in the literature were obtained.
• Kc needs to be adjusted to cultivar, local weather conditions and growing practices.
• Irrigation scheduling based on a time-based Kc function, results in saving water.
• Strawberry environmental impact could be reduced improving water productivity.

In south-west of Spain, the strawberry crop generates high economic value goods and high rate of employments. However, strawberry is cultivated in the vicinity of the Doñana National Park, a wetland with the maximum European environmental protection. Hence, minimize agricultural water use is of considerable interest in this area. Two experiments were conducted in order to determine strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) irrigation requirements. The experiments were carried out with Sabrina and Antilla cultivars without deficit irrigation. Three irrigations amounts were applied with different water volumes. Drainage lysimeters were installed in order to measure crop evapotranspiration. In Sabrina trial, seasonal crop evapotranspiration ranged from 430 to 453 mm, whereas in Antilla it reached 352 mm. The crop coefficient reached maximum values of 1.1 and 0.8 in Sabrina and in Antilla, respectively. In Sabrina trial, irrigation efficiency of 81% was achieved when an irrigation volume of 5500 m3 ha−1 was applied. In all Sabrina trial treatments, marketable fruit production exceeded 1000 g plant−1 and crop productivities were above 74 t ha−1, with no significant differences among treatments (P < 0.05). In Antilla trial, the maximum irrigation effic