Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2010TX357B

Impact of Saline Irrigation Water on Citrus Rootstocks in the Lower Rio Grande Valley

Institute: Texas
Year Established: 2010 Start Date: 2010-03-01 End Date: 2011-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $5,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $13,251

Principal Investigators: Catherine Simpson, Shad Nelson

Project Summary: The citrus industry in the Rio Grande Valley experiences periodic droughts. During such times, water restrictions from the Amistad and Falcon Reservoirs can reduce water available for agriculture. Irrigation in this region is primarily surface waters from the Rio Grande where citrus orchards are flood irrigated. Irrigation practices that use less water are being explored and evaluated. Water used to irrigate crops usually contains between 800 and 900 mg L-1 of salt, the equivalent of adding between 2100 and 2400 lbs salt/acre foot. Limiting irrigation in agricultural areas may lead to salt accumulation in the crop rooting depth, especially where low water use systems like drip irrigation is utilized. Currently, Citrus trees are grafted onto hardy rootstocks in order to ensure tree survival and production. These rootstocks are used to reduce pathogen impacts and enhance their tolerance to thermal, saline and other environmental stressors. It is vital to find saline tolerant citrus rootstocks for soil and environmental conditions in the lower Rio Grande Valley. This study’s objectives are to assess the salinity tolerance of citrus rootstocks using typical soils found in the Rio Grande Valley. We will evaluate irrigation water salinity tolerance levels for these rootstocks during greenhouse trials.