Response of grapevine growth and water use to different partial root-zone drying patterns under drip irrigation

Effects of different partial root-zone drying patterns on growth, sap flow and water use efficiency of grapevine were tested with three drip irrigation patterns i.e., alternate partial root-zone drip irrigation(ADI), fixed partial root-zone drip irrigation(FDI) and conventional whole root-zone drip irrigation(CDI) in oasis of Hexi Corridor, Gansu Province. The results show that the growth of grape is restricted by limited water of ADI and FDI compared with CDI, while the growth of ADI is better than FDI at the same irrigation level. Water use efficiency of ADI was the highest among the three patterns, partially because the photosynthesis rate decreased less while transpiration rate reduced more with the closing of stomata. Sap flow of ADI and CDI was cut down by 25 percent by different irrigation patterns. The experiment show that ADI can regulate the ratio of vegetative and nutrient growth, with reducing the redundance and saving much water.