Mango Tree Water Requirement in Makueni County in Kenya
Loading...
Date
2013-12-23
Authors
Rotich, H.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Mango production in Kenya has expanded considerably over recent years, not only in
size but also in the geographical location of commercial and homestead plantings.
Virtually every smallholding in Makueni County is dedicated to the production of
mangoes under rainfall or irrigation. The main problems are that the fruit quality and
quantity being produced is low. This is partly attributed to the fact that rainfall pattern
of Makueni does not coincide with major water requirement during phenological
stages of mango such as flowering and fruit set; fruit growth and development; flower
initiation; and paride swelling, in order to realize the full potential yield of mangoes.
This study, therefore, aims at looking at mango eco-physiology and water relations in
Makueni County, Kenya. In particular, the study will aim at achieving the following
objectives: to determine infiltration rates and levels of moisture retention of soil types
present in Makueni County; to determine optimum crop water requirement of mango
varieties at various phenological stages with respect to frequency and quantity; and to
determine the impact of water use efficiency of mangoes on production. Four groups
of Apple variety mango farmers in Makueni County will be selected for the study, in
which only one farmer's orchard will be selected. All the treatments in this study will
be laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) comprising nine irrigation treatments
rates categorise into two, partial and full irrigation; WI (partial 100% irrigation (F 1)
as calculated based on the climatic water balance according to altitude, place and
dates of planting, W2 (partial deficit irrigation with 7S% ofFl [pDI7S]), W3 (partial
deficit irrigation (pDl) with SO% of FI [pDISO]), W4 (partial deficit irrigation with
2S% of FI [pD12S]), Ws (no irrigation), W6 (full irrigation with 100% [fFT]), W7
(full deficit irrigation with 7S% [fDI7S]), Ws (full deficit irrigation with SO% [fDlSO])
and W9 (full deficit irrigation with' 2S% [fDI2S]). Also growth stage irrigation timing;
PI (before flowering), P2 (onset flowering), P3 (fruiting). Flower induction treatment
as well; II (using KN03), b (control), h (using ethylene). The estimation of the mango
water requirement will be derived from crop potential evapotranspiration based on
altitude, place and dates of planting. The data for this study will be analyzed with
analysis of variance (ANOV A) to detect differences between trees in the four selected
farm groups and LSD test for determining significance of differences, using SPSS for
Windows I1.S software (SPSS Inc.). Also, the data for this study will be subjected to
SPSS T-test procedures and Tukey's test (p < O.OS) will be employed to separate and
determine means whose values will be got from individual fruits.