Enhance of water productivity, yield and fruit quality of pomegranate trees on newly reclaimed soils

The study was carried out over a span of two years, from 2022 to 2023, focusing on pomegranate trees (Punica granatum L.) of Manfalouty cv. variety. These trees were cultivated in sandy soil at the Assiut Agricultural Research Station (ARC) in Assiut Governorate, Egypt. The primary objective of the study was to examine the effects of different irrigation levels on the growth, yield, and quality of the pomegranate fruits. Three irrigation levels were considered: 100, 80, and 60% of the crop evapotranspiration (ETc). Additionally, the impact of using different mulches was also investigated. The findings of the study revealed that when only 60% of the required water was utilized instead of 100%, there was a significant reduction in all the vegetative traits examined. On the other hand, applying either 80 or 100% of the water requirement greatly improved the quality of the fruits, resulting in higher marketable and total yields. Notably, there were no significant differences observed between the 80 and 100% ETc treatments for most of the evaluated parameters. Furthermore, it was observed that the highest water productivity was achieved when using the 60% ETc treatment. Additionally, the use of red mulch yielded the most favorable physical and chemical characteristics compared to the other treatments. Based on the results, it is recommended to employ the 80% ETc treatment along with red mulch as the most effective approach to enhance the growth, quality, and production of pomegranate fruits. This treatment not only improves efficiency but also reduces water usage by at least 20%.