Influence of Irrigation Regime on Growth of Select Field-grown Tree Species in a Semi-arid Climate

Abstract

Abstract Over three growing seasons (2003 through 2005) we investigated stem area increase and shoot growth of field-grown (FG) trident maple (Acer buergeranum), hedge maple (A. campestre), autumn blaze maple (A. × freemanii ‘Autumn Blaze’), shantung maple (A. truncatum), Mexican redbud (Cercis canadensis mexicana), Texas redbud (C. canadensis texensis), white Texas redbud (C. canadensis texensis ‘Alba’), Oklahoma redbud (C. canadensis texensis ‘Oklahoma’), Washington hawthorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum), Arizona ash (Fraxinus velutina coriacea ‘Bonita’), Mexican plum (Prunus mexicana), chinquapin oak (Quercus muehlenbergii), English oak (Q. robur) trees subjected to three reference evapotranspiration (ETo) based irrigation regimes (100, 60, and 30% ETo). For maple trees, stem area increase did not differ between irrigation treatments. However, except for trident maple shoot elongation varied with irrigation level and species. Stem area did not differ between irrigation regimes for redbud trees, and shoot elongation was generally greatest for trees that received lower irrigation treatments. Depending upon species, oak stem area increase did not differ, or was greatest for trees that received greater irrigation. For each oak species, shoot elongation was influenced by irrigation level. For two of the three remaining species, stem area increase and shoot elongation differed according to irrigation volume. Despite three differing irrigation volumes, greatest growth was not always associated with increased irrigation volume. In addition, each species appears to be suited for regions with low precipitation and high pH soils.