Is it true that date-palm consumes a lot of water?

Year 2019, , 62 - 71, 28.06.2019

İmed Ben Aissa , Sami Bouarfa Olivier Roupsard Rajouene Majdoub

https://doi.org/10.31015/jaefs.2019.2.3

Abstract

To improve the irrigation water management in
oasian context, evapotranspiration assessment is required. In Tunisian oases,
date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is the main crop and its water
use is an essential evapotranspiration element. In this research, sap flow
measurement was implemented to assess the date palm transpiration inside an
irrigated-drained field within which the shallow-groundwater level and the water
balance elements were continuously monitored. The site is a Tunisian Saharan
oasis, stamped by waterlogging and salinity manifestation and by low-frequency and
irregular flooding irrigation. The cropping system is two-storey palm/grass
layered system. This paper focuses on one-year period sap flow measurements
using a recalibrated Granier's TDP-method. Results showed that the instantly transpiration
varied with the air temperature and was high related to the shallow water table
nycthemeral fluctuation. The daily transpiration ranged between 0.5 and 3.5 mm d^-1
with a clear seasonal variation. A water stress appearance according to
water delivery frequency during the summer season was also revealed. The one-year-cumulated
date palm transpiration was about 730 mm and represented almost 60% of the overall
oasis deduced evapotranspiration. From this experiment case, it was noted that the
date palm tree transpiration reflect a modest water consumption (35 to 45%)
relatively to the surrounding high evaporative demand and it can be deduced
that date palm tree, in itself, isn't a great water consumer in such cropping conditions.
After more validation, these elucidations should be considered to rethink the
date palm irrigation scheduling and the water management practices inside oasis
schemes.

Keywords

Saharan oasis, Tunisia, Date-palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.), Sap flow, Transpiration, Tunisia

References

• Al-Muaini, A., Green, S., Dakheel, A., Abdullah, A., Abou Dahr, W.A., Dixon, S., Kemp, P. & Clothier, B. (2019). Irrigation management with saline groundwater of a date palm cultivar in the hyper-arid United Arab Emirates. Agric. Water Manag., 211, 123-131. doi:10.1016/j.agwat.2018.09.042
• Ayers, R.S. & Westcot, D.W. (1985). Water quality of agriculture. FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper No. 29 (Rev. 1), Rome, 174 pp.
• Ben Aïssa, I., (2006). Evaluation de la performance d’un réseau de drainage enterré au sein d’une oasis modernisée du sud tunisien : Cas de l’oasis de Fatnassa Nord à Kébili (Tunisie). Mémoire de Master Recherche "Eau et Environnement", AgroM-UM2, Montpellier, France, 119 pp.
• Ben Aïssa, I., Bouarfa, S., Vincent, B., Chaumont, C. & Perrier, A. (2013). Drainage performance assessment in a modernized oasis system. Irrig. & Drain., 62: 221-228. doi:10.1002/ird.1710
• Ben Aïssa, I., Bouksila, F., Bahri, A., Bouarfa, S., Chaumont, C., & al. (2005). Gestion de l’eau et des sels au sein d’une oasis du Sud tunisien. Proc. Seminar "La Modernisation de l’Agriculture Irriguée", Project INCO-Wademed, Knowledge base on water demand management in the Mediterranean countries (http://www.wademed.net/), 2004, Rabat. (Ed.) Hammani, A., Kuper, M. and Debbarh, A., pp. 312-322. (http://hal.cirad.fr/cirad-00188172).
• Ben Aïssa, I., Nasr, Z. & Ben Mechlia, N., (2000). Evaluation de la transpiration du Pommier en verger par la mesure thermique du flux de sève brute. Annales de l’INRGREF, num. spécial "Economie de l'eau en irrigation", Hammamet, 14-16 novembre 2000. INRGREF/Cemagref, 232 pp, ISSN:1737-0515, p155-167.
• Bouarfa, S., Marlet, S., Douaoui, A., Hartani, T., Mekki, I., Ghazouani, W., Ben Aïssa, I., Vincent, B., Hassani, F. & Kuper, M. (2009). Salinity patterns in irrigation systems, a threat to be demystified, a constraint to be managed: Field evidence from Algeria and Tunisia. Irrig. & Drain. 58(SI3):273-284, doi:10.1002/ird.524
• Brunel, J-P., Ihab, J., Droubi, A.M. & Samaan, S. (2006). Energy budget and actual evapotranspiration of an arid oasis ecosystem: Palmyra (Syria). Agric. Water Manag. 84 (2006) 213-220. doi:10.1016/j.agwat.2006.02.005
• Cabibel, B., Do, F. & Horoyan, J. (1991a). Mesures thermiques des flux de sève dans les troncs et les racines et fonctionnement hydrique des arbres. I. Analyse théorique des erreurs sur la mesure des flux et validation des mesures en présence de gradients thermiques extérieurs. Agronomie, 11, 669- 678, doi:10.1051/agro:19910804.
• Cabibel, B., Do, F. & Horoyan, J. (1991b). Mesures thermiques des flux de sève dans les troncs et les racines et fonctionnement hydrique des arbres. II. Évolution dans le temps des flux de sève et comportement hydrique des arbres en présence ou non d’une irrigation localisée. Agronomie, 11 (9), 757-766, doi:10.1051/agro:19910906.
• Carr, M.K.V. (2013). The water relations and irrigation requirements of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.): a review. Exp. Agric. 49: 91–113.
• Chao, C.C.T. & Krueger, R.R. (2007). The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.): overview of biology, uses, and cultivation. Hort. Science, 42:1077–1082
• Clearwater, M.J., Meinzer, F.C., Andrale, J.L., Goldstein, G. & Holbrook, N.M. (1999). Potential errors in measurement of non-uniform sap flow using heat dissipation probes. Tree Physiology, 19: 681–687. doi:10.1093/treephys/19.10.681
• Do, F. & Rocheteau, A. (2002a). Influence of natural temperature gradients on measurements of xylem sap flow with thermal dissipation probes. 1. Field observations and possible remedies. Tree Physiology, 22: 641–648. Do, F. & Rocheteau, A. (2002b). Influence of natural temperature gradients on measurements of xylem sap flow with thermal dissipation probes. 2. Advantages and calibration of a noncontinuous heating system. Tree Physiology, 22: 649–654.
• Dufrêne, E., Dubos, B., Rey, H., Quencez, P. & Saugier, B. (1992). Changes in evapotranspiration from an oil palm stand (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) exposed to seasonal soil water deficit. Acta Oecol. 13 (3), 299–314. El-Khoumsi, W., Hammani, A., Bouarfa, S., Bouaziz, A. & Ben Aïssa, I. (2017). Contribution de la nappe phréatique à l'alimentation hydrique du palmier dattier (Phoenix dactylifera) dans les zones oasiennes. Cah. Agric. 26: 45005
• Fathi, L. (2014). Structural and mechanical properties of the wood from coconut palms, oil palms and date palms. PhD thesis, Faculty of Mathematics, Computer Science and Natural Sciences, University of Hamburg, Germany. 248 p.
• Floret, C. & Pontanier, R. (1982). L'aridité en Tunisie présaharienne: climat, sol, végétation et aménagement. Paris: ORSTOM, (150), 552 p. ISBN 2-7099-060-0
• Fuchs, S., Leuschner, C., Link, R., Coners, H. & Schuldt, B. (2017). Calibration and comparison of thermal dissipation, heat ratio and heat field deformation sap flow probes for diffuse-porous trees. Agr. For. Meteorol. 244, 151–161.
• Granier, A. (1985). Une nouvelle méthode pour la mesure du flux de sève brute dans le tronc des arbres. Ann.Sci. For., 42, 193-200.
• Granier, A. (1987). Evaluation of transpiration in a Douglas–fir stand by means of sap flow measurements. Tree Physiol. 3, 309–320.
• Hachicha, M. & Ben Aïssa, I. (2014). Managing Salinity in Tunisian Oases. Journal of Life Sciences, ISSN 1934-7391, USA, Sept. 2014, Vol. 8, No. 9, 775-782. doi:10.17265/1934-7391/2014.09.007
• Henia, L. (1993). Climat et bilan de l'eau en Tunisie. Essai de régionalisation climatique par les bilans hydriques. Thèse de Doctorat. Faculté des Sciences Humaines et Sociales de Tunis. 381 p. (http://www.theses.fr/1987PA040479)
• Hölttä, T., Linkosalo, T., Riikonen, A., Sevanto, S. & Nikinmaa, E. (2015). An analysis of Granier sap flow method, its sensitivity to heat storage and a new approach to improve its time dynamics. Agric. For. Meteorol. 211-212, 2-12, doi:10.1016/j.agrformet.2015.05.005
• Köstner, B., Granier, A. & Cermák, J. (1998). Sap flow measurements in forest stands: methods and uncertainties. Ann. For. Sci. 55 (1-2) 13-27 (1998), doi:10.1051/forest:19980102
• Liebenberg, P.J. & Zaid, A., (2002). Date palm irrigation. In: Date palm cultivation, Zaid A. (ed.). FAO Plant production and protection paper 156, Rev. 1. FAO, Rome 2002. (http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/Y4360E/y4360e0b.htm#bm11)
• Loheide II, S.P., Butler, Jr.J.J., & Gorelick, S.M., (2005). Estimation of groundwater consumption by phreatophytes using diurnal water table fluctuations: A saturated-unsaturated flow assessment. Water Resour. Res., 41, W07030. doi:10.1029/2005WR003942.
• Lu, P., Urban, L. & Zhao, P. (2004). Granier’s thermal dissipative probe (TDP) method for measuring sap flow in trees: theory and practice. Acta Bot. Sin. 46 (6), 631–646.
• Madurapperuma, W.S., Bleby T.M. & Burgess, S.S.O. (2009). Evaluation of sap flow methods to determine water use by cultivated palms. Env. Exp. Bot. 66:372–380.
• Marlet, S., Bouksila, F., Mekki, I., & Ben Aïssa, I. (2007). Fonctionnement et qualité des eaux de la nappe de l’oasis de Fatnassa Nord - Arguments géochimiques. Actes du 3ème atelier régional scientifique et technique du Projet Sirma. 04-08 mai 2007, Nabeul, Tunisie. (http://hal.cirad.fr/cirad-00259769/document)
• Mekki, I., Jacob, F., Marlet, S., Ghazouani, W. (2013). Management of groundwater resources in relation to oasis sustainability: The case of the Nefzawa region in Tunisia. J. Env. Manag., 121:142-151. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2013.02.041
• Munier P. (1973). Le Palmier dattier - Techniques agricoles et productions tropicales. Maison Neuve et Larose, 217pp; Paris.
• Nixon, R.W. (1951). The Date Palm: "Tree of Life" in the Subtropical Deserts. Economic Botany, Vol. 5, No. 3 (Jul. - Sep., 1951), pp. 274-301.
• Omrani, N. (2015). Verbesserung der Bewässerungseffizienz in den Oasen Südtunesiens-Fallstudie Nefzaoua Oasen. PhD thesis, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany. 129 pp. doi:10.5445/IR/1000048869
• Paudel, I., Kanety, T. & Cohen, S. (2013). Inactive xylem can explain differences in calibration factors for thermal dissipation probe sap flow measurements. Tree Physiology, 33, Issue 9, 1 September 2013, Pages 986–1001, doi:10.1093/treephys/tpt070
• Peters, R.L., Fonti, P., Frank, D.C., Poyatos, R., Pappas, C., & al., (2018). Quantification of uncertainties in conifer sap flow measured with the thermal dissipation method. New Phytologist, doi:10.1111/nph.15241
• Poyatos, R., Granda, V., Molowny-Horas, R., Mencuccini, M., Steppe, K. & Martinez-Vilalta, J. (2016) - SAPFLUXNET: towards a global database of sap flow measurements. Tree Physiol. 36, 1449–1455
• Rabbel, I., Diekkrüger, B., Voigt, H. & Neuwirth, B. (2016). Comparing Tmax determination approaches for Granier-based sap flow estimations. Sensors, (16) 2042: 1-16, doi:10.3390/s16122042
• Ringersma, J., Mechergui, M., Pijnenburg, S. (1996). Transpiration measurements in Date Palm using the Granier method. In: Proc. Int. Conf. on Evapotranspiration and irrigation scheduling, Nov 3-6 1996, Texas American Society of Agricultural Engineers.
• Roupsard, O., Bonnefond, J.M., Irvine, M. & al., (2006). Partitioning energy and evapotranspiration above and below a tropical palm canopy. Agric. For. Meteorol., 139:252–268.
• Sellami, M.H. & Sifaoui, M.S. (2003). Estimating transpiration in an intercropping system: measuring sap-flow inside the oasis. Agric. Water Manage. 59 (3), 191–204.
• Sellami, M.H. (2008). A scientific guide for agricultural water management and biodiversity conservation inside the North African oasis. In: Agricultural Water Management Research Trends. 171-212. Magnus L. S. (ed.), ISBN 978-1-60456-159-3, Nova Sc. Pub., 2008.
• Shackel, K.A., Johnson, R.S., Medawar, C.K. & Phene, C.J. (1992). Substantial errors in estimates of sap flow using the heat balance technique on woody stems under field conditions. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci., 117(2), 351-356.
• Sperling, O., Shapira. O., Cohen, S., Tripler, E., Schwartz, A. & Lazarovitch, N. (2012). Estimating sap flux densities in date palm trees using the heat dissipation method and weighing lysimeters. Tree Physiol. 32, 1171–1178.
• Tomlinson, P.B. (2006). The uniqueness of palms. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 151, 5-14. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2006.00520.x
• Zhen, J., Tripler, E., Pevzner, Sh. & Lazarovitch, N. (2019). Impact of fruiting on gas exchange, water fluxes and frond development in irrigated date palms. Scientia Horticulturae. 244, 234-241. doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2018.09.046.