Open AccessAgrometeorological support of fruit production: application in SW Slovenia
Author(s) -
Suŝnik Andreja,
Matajc Iztok,
Kodriĉ Ivan
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
meteorological applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1469-8080
pISSN - 1350-4827
DOI - 10.1017/s1350482706002581
Subject(s) - irrigation , agriculture , environmental science , water use , production (economics) , agricultural productivity , water resource management , farm water , vegetation (pathology) , hydrology (agriculture) , agricultural engineering , water conservation , geography , engineering , agronomy , medicine , geotechnical engineering , archaeology , pathology , biology , economics , macroeconomics
Fruit growing in Slovenia has become one of the more important agricultural production branches over the last two decades. Due to climate variability over a relatively small area of 20,000 km 2 , irrigation practices are not only important but also indispensable agrotechnical measures for obtaining permanent, high quality crop yields in the northeastern and southwestern parts of the country. Hence, accurate estimation of water consumption by agricultural crops with the inclusion of metorological monitoring is essential in the field of water management. As a decision support tool, the Slovenian Agrometeorological Information System (SAgMIS) developed by Agrometeorological Department in the Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia (EARS) and introduced 10 years ago has improved significally over the last two years. Transfer of actual and forecasted agrometeorological data to the end users has been quick and accurate, with the last version of mobile data dissemination in testing use. A case study of water use by irrigated peach trees in the plantation orchards of lower Vipava valley was undertaken from 1996 to 2004. A variety of irrigation systems with diverse irrigation water applications was introduced for the purposes of studying irrigation water benefits derived from accurate weather data and forecasts. The results showed that important savings in the amount of irrigation water used, on an annual average of 20%, could be achieved with accurate and timely irrigation forecasts during the vegetation periods. Copyright © 2006 Royal Meteorological Society