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Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is broadly grown in tropical regions and can also be cultivated in irrigated subtropical semi-arid areas; however, water shortages are a serious problem in the latter region. Among biotic and abiotic factors, water supply is one of the most crucial elements that determine productivity. The allocation of water will be an ever-increasing source of pressure because of vast agricultural demands under changing climatic conditions. Although the mango is considered to be tolerant to drought, water stress during growing cycle can reduce productivity. Here, we review the recent progress in evaluating and augmenting mango water productivity. Developments in physiological and agronomic understanding that have led to a boost in water productivity are presented. In addition, this review deals with deficit irrigation strategies to elucidate the effects on mango yield, water use efficiency, and the response of physiological indicators to water stress. Our main findings were as follows: (1) Under a changing climate, traditional irrigation based on water balance will not be sustainable in the medium/long term; (2) deficit irrigation strategies applied to mango can save irrigation water by up to 40% and improve water use efficiency by up to 30%; and (3) there is valuable potential for further improvement owing to advanced knowledge in terms of the physiological response of mango to water stress, and there are good prospects within the current approaches if they are associated with specific environmental physiology. We concluded that under current medium-/long-term perspectives regarding available water resources, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, there is an urgent demand for adaptive and water-saving strategies. Thus, it will be vital to redesign irrigation schemes in areas where water is scarce to adjust deficit irrigation strategies not only to save water, enhance water use efficiency, and maintain yield, but also to produce fruits with improved quality.

Mango is one of the most cultivated tropical fruits worldwide and one of few drought-tolerant plants. Thus, in this study the effect of a sustained deficit irrigation (SDI) strategy on mango yield and quality was assessed with the aim of reducing irrigation water in mango crop. A randomized block design with four treatments was developed: (i) full irrigation (FI), assuring the crop’s water needs, and three levels of SDI receiving 75%, 50%, and 33% of irrigation water (SDI75, SDI50, and SDI33). Yield, morphology, color, titratable acidity (TA), total soluble solids (TSS), organic acids (OA), sugars, minerals, fiber, antioxidant activity (AA), and total phenolic content (TPC) were analyzed. The yield was reduced in SDI conditions (8%, 11%, and 20% for SDI75, SDI50, and SDI33, respectively), but the irrigation water productivity was higher in all SDI regimes. SDI significantly reduced the mango size, with SDI33 generating the smallest mangoes. Peel color significantly changed after 13 days of ripening, with SDI75 being the least ripe. The TA, AA, and citric acid were higher in SDI75, while the TPC and fiber increased in all SDI levels. Consequently, SDI reduced the mango size but increased the functionality of samples, without a severe detrimental effect on the yield.

International audience; AbstractThe soil erosion rates are high in the rainfed olive (Olea europaea L.) mountain plantations applying conventional practices in a semi-arid Mediterranean environment, which compromise their long-term sustainability. The implementation of sustainable soil management strategies is vital for hillslopes and low-fertility soils where plantations cover vast tracts of land. In Lanjarón (Granada, Spain), the soil erosion and runoff patterns over a 4-year monitoring period were studied in erosion plots on a mountainside under four types of production systems: (1) organic (spontaneous vegetation and leguminous covers), (2) conservation agriculture (combinations of minimum tillage with spontaneous and leguminous strips), (3) integrated (combinations of no-tillage with spontaneous vegetation and leguminous strips), and (4) conventional tillage. The olive yield responses to each production system were evaluated, and the selected physico-chemical soil properties (pH, bulk density, soil organic carbon, cation exchange capacity, and total N, P, and K), soil enzymes (β-glucosidase, protease, dehydrogenase, and phosphatase activities), and soil-microbial biomass C and N were monitored. Throughout the study period, the erosion rates for organic, conservation, integrated, and conventional systems averaged 0.70, 2.10, 1.52, and 3.25 t ha−1 year−1 with runoff of 5.8, 6.3, 11.9, and 17.6 mm year−1, respectively. The mean olive yield was not significantly affected by the production system applied, being 2.43, 2.10, 2.04, and 2.11 t ha−1 year−1 for integrated, organic, conservation, and conventional, respectively. Here, we show a substantial improvement in soil health restoration using the organic rather than a conventional system. Our findings suggest that sustainable cropping systems on hillslopes integrating a blend between organic and conventional doctrines better maintain or improve soil ecosystem functioning. This study highlights a balanced design for an integrated production system for rainfed olive orchards that can maintain productivity while suitably encouraging environmental quality and ecosystem services.

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is one of the most important fruit crops in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. On the coast of Granada and Malaga (SE Spain), irrigated subtropical fruit specie...

In this chapter, we present a review of irrigation requirements, water-deficit irrigation techniques, and the main physiological parameters used to determine water status in avocado ( Persea americana Mill.). From our review, only a few trials have been performed under the conditions of a subtropical Mediterranean area. In particular, SE Spain (Granada and Malaga provinces) has irrigated avocado orchards spread widely along the Mediterranean coast, where several advantages related to favorable climate and location make Spain the only European avocado producer. However, limited water resources worsened by climate change exacerbate water scarcity and exert greater pressure on a territory under a dry Mediterranean climate, making further research urgent to boost water use efficiency. Therefore sustainable irrigation programs for this crop become key in this water shortage scenario, which needs the support of transfer and teaching as well as the collaboration of governmental institutions, irrigation associations, and farmers.