Water stress: what it is, how it develops and how to solve it in fruit

• Maintain a regular irrigation program adapted to the specific water needs of the crop and environmental conditions.

• Avoid prolonged periods of drought, especially during flowering, fruit set, rapid growth, and fruit ripening.

• Avoid alternating periods of severe water deficit with excessively abundant irrigation.

• Maintain the most stable soil moisture possible during periods of rapid fruit growth.

• Adjust the frequency and amount of irrigation to the soil texture, water retention capacity, and root system depth.

• Check soil moisture regularly to avoid irrigating only when visible signs of stress appear.

• Use irrigation systems that allow for uniform and controlled water delivery.

• Regularly inspect emitters, drippers, and pipes for blockages, leaks, or flow rate variations.

• Improve soil structure when necessary to promote uniform water distribution around the roots. • Incorporate organic matter when appropriate to improve water retention capacity and promote root development.

• Avoid soil compaction, as it can limit root expansion and hinder water absorption.

• Maintain a healthy and sufficiently developed root system to allow for adequate soil exploration.

• Avoid root damage during transplanting, cultivation, and work performed around the plants.

• Improve drainage when waterlogging occurs, as excess water can reduce root oxygenation and eventually cause symptoms similar to those of water stress.

• Control soil and irrigation water salinity, as a high salt concentration can hinder water absorption by the roots.

• Use mulch when appropriate for the crop to reduce direct evaporation from the soil and stabilize soil moisture.

• Reduce competition for water through proper weed control around the plants. • Adapt irrigation to temperature, solar radiation, wind, and atmospheric demand conditions.

• Increase monitoring during periods of high temperatures, dry winds, or high evaporative demand.

• Avoid excessive pruning or interventions that abruptly alter the balance between leaf area and the amount of roots available to supply water.

• Maintain balanced nutrition to prevent excessively rapid growth that increases the crop's water demand.

• Pay special attention to fruit during rapid growth phases to detect early signs of loss of firmness, dehydration, or cracking.

• Avoid excessively heavy irrigation after prolonged periods of drought when there is a risk of fruit cracking.

• Use soil moisture sensors or tools to monitor soil water content in crops where water stress is recurrent.

• Correct irrigation system deficiencies before indiscriminately increasing the total amount of water applied. • Maintain a consistent irrigation strategy during ripening to reduce abrupt fluctuations in fruit moisture content.

• Remove severely damaged fruit once it has lost its commercial value and correct the irrigation conditions responsible for the problem.

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