Agreement Number
NR243A750011G043
Awardee Name
University of California - Davis
Grant Type
On-Farm Trials
Project Title
Water Conservation through Plant-based Irrigation Management in Walnuts.
Awardee State/Territory
California (CA)
Involved States/territories
California (CA)
Award Year
2023
Start Date
End Date
Award Amount
$1,380,688.00
Production/Use
Farmland Agricultural
Resource Concern (Broad)
Energy
Water
Resource Concern (Specific)
Groundwater depletion
Inefficient energy use
Inefficient irrigation water use
Surface water depletion
Conservation Practice(s)
Irrigation Water Management
Project Background
University of California Davis will implement plant-based monitoring of midday stem water potential (SWP) using manually operated pressure chambers as well as a novel automated microtensiometer sensor to schedule the first irrigation in walnuts. The practice of waiting to irrigate in the spring until SWP drops below the non-soil-water-limited (baseline) value will substantially reduce total seasonal irrigation and hence conserve water, while maintaining yield and quality. This practice may also have long term benefits for root system and soil health, as well as tree resilience to environmental stress.
Project Scale
Field-level
Multi-farm
Project targeted to Historically Underserved producers?
No
Awardee Technical Contact Name
Ken Shackel