How Moderate Water Stress Can Affect Water Use Efficiency Indices in Potato

Abstract

Since water is increasingly becoming an expensive and limited resource, it is necessary to improve crop water use efficiency (WUE) to save water while maintaining high yields. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of moderate water stress compared to well-watered conditions (supplying 50 or 100% of the maximum evapotranspiration (ETm)) on dry aboveground biomass yield (AB-Y), dry whole biomass yield (WB), tuber yield, irrigation WUE, and WUE at early harvest (E-TY, E-IWUE, E-YWUE), and at final harvest (F-TY, F-IWUE, F-YWUE), on WUE for dry aboveground biomass (AB-WUE) and for dry whole biomass (WB-WUE), on sink/source ratio and dry matter content of tubers in two potato cultivars—Sieglinde and Spunta, in two planting dates (early and late). Moderate water stress, compared to well-watered conditions, resulted in a small decrease in E-TY (−14%) and F-TY (−11%), but a high increase in E-IWUE (+69%) and F-IWUE (+78%), making savings in irrigation water of roughly 380 or 600 m3 per crop cycle in relation to early or final harvest. Moderate water stress improved in Sieglinde IWUE, YWUE, and WB-WUE at final harvest, whereas Spunta appeared more appropriate for early harvest. In the late planting date, the crop used water better compared to the early planting, resulting in a greater increase in IWUE (+77 vs. +66%) and an, albeit, slight increase in the WUE. It would, therefore, be convenient to apply the moderate water stress in the late planting, saving a further 100 m3 of irrigation water. The highest yield, IWUE, and YWUE were reached when moderate water stress was applied in both planting dates on cv. Spunta for early harvest and on cv. Sieglinde for final harvest. It was possible to increase WUE indices and save water, not only by water management, but also by choosing opportune planting dates and cultivars.