EFFECTS OF DEFICIENT IRRIGATION ON THE YIELD OF CELERY (Apium graveolens) crops, KELVIN RZ F1 VARIETY IN LA MOLINA

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of four levels of deficit irrigation (100%, 80%, 70% and 60% of evapotranspirative demand) on yield and water productivity in the cultivation of celery (Apium graveolens), Kelvin RZ F1 variety, using a drip irrigation system. The research was carried out at the Center for Research and Extension of Irrigation (CIER) of the National Agrarian University La Molina.
The irrigation time was calculated daily based on the crop evapotranspiration (ETc), estimated using the class "A" evaporometer tank, using crop coefficients (Kc) adjusted to the phases of phenological development of celery. The experimental design was completely randomized (DCA) with four treatments and three replications, resulting in a total of 12 experimental units. The agronomic variables evaluated were plant height, stem diameter, fresh weight and yield, in addition to the quantification of the volume of water applied and water productivity.
The results showed that the T1 treatment (100% of the demand) obtained the best values in the evaluated variables, with an average height of 79.0 cm, a stem diameter of 99.6 mm and a fresh weight of 1.54 kg, reaching a maximum yield of 85.4 t/ha. However, the T2 (80%), T3 (70%) and T4 (60%) treatments achieved water savings of 19.58%, 26.12% and 13.06%, respectively, compared to T1. Despite the reduction in the irrigation sheet, the yields obtained were 74.2 t/ha (T2), 68.0 t/ha (T3) and 79.6 t/ha (T4), demonstrating that moderate levels of deficit irrigation can maintain an acceptable production.
Water productivity was higher in the T2 and T3 treatments, with values of 39.1 kg/m³, compared to 36.4 kg/m³ in T1. These results suggest that the application of a deficit irrigation of 70% of the evapotranspirative demand can be an efficient strategy to optimize water use without significantly affecting crop production. The implementation of these practices can contribute to sustainable water resource management in agriculture, especially in regions with limited water availability.