Pistachio Project Planning, Irrigation Systems and Irrigation Management. Trevor Sluggett Irrigation Agronomist AgriExchange Pty Ltd

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1 Pistachio Project Planning, Irrigation Systems and Irrigation Management Trevor Sluggett Irrigation Agronomist AgriExchange Pty Ltd

2 Excited About Pistachios A nut crop other than Almonds Good demand for this nut Great nut to eat, can t stop eating Grows quite well on poor soils; we have lots of poor soil Copes with salinity well Uses less water than almonds

3 Planning a Pistachio Planting Step 1; Find a site that may be suitable Step 2; Assess the site properly before locking site in Work out how many hectares can be planted given soil and water Order trees and get irrigation system designed

10 Soil Texture sandy loam (SL) sandy clay loam (SCL) Medium clay (HC)

11 Coarse Fragments Nil coarse lime fragments IIIA (fine lime Fragments) IIIB (lime rubble) Nil coarse lime fragments

12 Structure subangular blocky angular blocky subangular blocky Lenticular (poor drainage)

13 Potential Rootzone Depth - Lime Tolerant Crop 60cm topsoil 20cm IIIA Sandy 60cm IIIA Loamy R o o t z o n e sandy clay loam (SCL) subsoil

17 Pistachio Soil Suitability in the Suitable Mallee Landscape Topsoils at least 30cm deep with low to moderate amounts of lime Below the topsoil is moderately draining carbonate (lime) layers that allow some root development Moderate draining clays with or without lime at 1 metre depth or deeper. Marginal, plant with caution Topsoils 20 to 40cm deep with moderate to high amounts of lime and some compact clay layers Below topsoil slow draining lime layers Poor draining clay layers within one metre of the surface

18 Pistachio Soil Suitability in the Mallee Landscape Improving mallee soils If topsoils is less than 20cm deep, consider developing a gently sloped treeline mound on which to place driptube. Ensure runoff and drainage water can be removed Excluded Soils Very shallow topsoils, less than 20cm and with high amounts of free lime present. Significant amounts of surface stone present Very heavy textured Blanchetown clay (dam building material) within 1 metre of surface Areas water will collect after rainfall

19 Pistachio Salinity Tolerance The Pistachio is known to be a salt tolerant tree, with tolerance well above the common trees we grow, including citrus, almonds, vines and olives Not as salt tolerant as the date palm. 50% yield loss expected with average rootzone salinity (ECe) of approximately 10 = 10,000 EC

20 Soil Preparation for Pistachios For mallee soils pre-plant rip the tree rows to approximately 70cm depth Use a multi-tine parabolic tine ripper. Five tines 50cm apart is effective. Mound treeline if soil is shallow Consider using pre-plant gypsum and compost/manures to build up soil along tree row Grow cover crops to stabilize soil and for wind protection for young trees

25 MOUNDS FOR PISTACHIOS

31 Pistachio Irrigation Systems -Drip or sprinkler systems OK -Drip is preferred for most situations as it allows for early tree establishment, high irrigation efficiency and reduced irrigation labour and greater irrigation flexibility Sprinklers do have advantages for better soil management

32 Pistachio Irrigation Requirement -To aim for maximum production, I suggest budget for a yearly water requirement of at least13ml/ha/annum, ignoring rainfall. -However some growers are reporting usage of up to 14ML/Ha for over 3 T/Ha crops in some years.

33 Pistachio Irrigation Requirement IRRIGATED CROP MANAGEMENT SERVICE Estimated Irrigation Requirement for under average seasonal conditions at (from FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper No. 56). PISTACHIO LOXTON DOA Month Evap. Bird Crop Crop Evapotrans Rainfall Net Irrigation Irrigation mm Guard factor mm/mth mm/day mm Requirement Requirement Epan Kg cf ETc ETc P mm mm Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun TOTAL

34 Drip System Specifications -Peak system capacity should be at least 9mm per day. -To allow adequate flexibility, heatwaves and downtimes, a peak daily water requirement of 12 to 13mm is advisable. - Two irrigation shifts to irrigate the property is a good system setup

35 Drip System Specifications - An example irrigation system is; - 1.6L/Hr drippers spaced 0.5m apart and with two hoses per 6m row, gives an application rate of 1.07mm/Hr - This gives a daily maximum application of 1.07 x 12 hours = 12.8mm per day with two shifts.

36 Irrigation Management Crucial aspects of irrigation management are; 1.Each area of different soil and or plantings (rootstock/age) should be in a separate irrigation valve 2.At least two methods should be regularly used, normally; A water use guide based on evaporation Soil water monitoring by either regular digging or a monitoring device

37 Irrigation Management Suggestions Coming up to budburst ensure soil profile is at field capacity, but not saturated During spring it is crucial to maintain moisture levels near field capacity with carefully applied light irrigations to keep fertilizer in the rootzone as well as maximize nut set, nut growth and spur growth for next years crop Maintain optimum soil moisture levels until harvest. Excessive stress during harvest should be avoided; do not cause leaf fall during harvest

38 Evaporation Based Scheduling The Almond Board provides irrigation budgeting guides for growers. These guides are used by growers on an ongoing basis to guide scheduling of irrigations

39 Soil Water Monitoring Soil Water Monitoring choices are large; Dig holes regularly with an auger or corer after irrigation, between irrigations and several times coming up to next irrigation. Use a monitoring device, preferably continually logging.

41 Capacitance Probes - Permanent

49 Summary Pistachios area good crop option for this environment Plan Pistachio projects well, starting with the soil Don t skimp on the irrigation system For good production consistent water management is crucial

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