Enhancing Citrus Yield and Water Use Efficiency in Pakistan’s Arid Zones: A Four Year Evaluation of Low Tech and High Tech Irrigation Methods

Rahina Kausar; Obaid Ur Rehman; Muhammad Imran Akram; Ayesha Malik; Mashal Rehman; Abid Ali; Muhammad Usman; Saima Jameel; Mahreen Khalid; Muhammad Zubair; Qaisar Abbas; Kashif Shabir; Faheem Altaf

Enhancing Citrus Yield and Water Use Efficiency in Pakistan’s Arid Zones

A Four Year Evaluation of Low Tech and High Tech Irrigation Methods

Authors

Rahina Kausar Senior Scientist, Soil & Water Conservation Research Station, Fateh Jang, Pakistan
Obaid Ur Rehman Chief Scientist, 2Soil & Water Conservation Research Institute, Chakwal, Pakistan
Muhammad Imran Akram Senior Scientist, Regional Agricultural Research Institute, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
Ayesha Malik Scientific Officer, Soil & Water Conservation Research Station, Fateh Jang, Pakistan
Mashal Rehman Senior Scientist, Agricultural Research Station, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
Abid Ali Scientific Officer, Agricultural Research Station, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
Muhammad Usman Scientific Officer, Soil & Water Conservation Research Station, Fateh Jang, Pakistan
Saima Jameel Assistant professor, ‎Department of Biotechnology ‎, Fatima Jinnah Women's University ‎, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Pakistan
Mahreen Khalid Senior Scientist, Regional Agricultural Research Institute, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
Muhammad Zubair Principal Scientist, Regional Agricultural Research Institute, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
Qaisar Abbas Senior Scientist, Regional Agricultural Research Institute, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
Kashif Shabir Scientific Officer, Horticultural Research Station, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
Faheem Altaf Senior Scientist, Horticultural Research Station, Bahawalpur, Pakistan

Keywords:

Irrigation techniques, water productivity, high-value crops, sustainable production, citrus

Abstract

Water scarcity limits citrus production in arid areas of Pakistan. This study evaluated five irrigation techniques – basin irrigation (BI, control), surface drip irrigation (SDI), plastic bottle irrigation (BTI), pitcher irrigation (PI), and perforated plastic sleeves irrigation (PPSI) – for their effects on soil moisture, fruit yield, water productivity, and economic returns of five‑year‑old Kinnow mandarin trees over four growing seasons (2016–2019) at Fateh Jang. The experiment used a randomized complete block design with three replications. SDI significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased fruit yield (16,416 kg ha^-¹) and water productivity (7.13 kg m^-³) compared to BI (9,732 kg ha^-¹ and 1.43 kg m^-³, respectively). SDI also achieved the highest net return (Rs. 2,087,400 ha^-¹) despite higher installation costs. PI and BTI produced intermediate yields (11,969–12,301 kg ha^-¹) with water productivity 4–5 times higher than BI. PPSI showed the lowest performance among the water‑saving techniques. We conclude that surface drip irrigation is the most effective technique for enhancing water productivity (83%) and citrus yield (51%) under arid conditions, though pitcher and bottle irrigation offer affordable alternatives for resource‑limited farmers.

Author Biographies

Rahina Kausar, Senior Scientist, Soil & Water Conservation Research Station, Fateh Jang, Pakistan

Senior Scientist (Soil Science) BS-18, Soil & Water Conservation Research Station, Fateh Jang, Pakistan

Obaid Ur Rehman, Chief Scientist, 2Soil & Water Conservation Research Institute, Chakwal, Pakistan

Chief Scientist (BS-20), Soil & Water Conservation Research Institute, Chakwal, Pakistan

Ayesha Malik, Scientific Officer, Soil & Water Conservation Research Station, Fateh Jang, Pakistan

Scientific Officer (Soil Science), BS-17, Soil & Water Conservation Research Station, Fateh Jang, Pakistan

Mashal Rehman, Senior Scientist, Agricultural Research Station, Bahawalpur, Pakistan

Senior Scientist (PB&G), BS-18, Agricultural Research Station, Bahawalpur

Abid Ali, Scientific Officer, Agricultural Research Station, Bahawalpur, Pakistan

Scientific Officer (Agronomy), Agricultural Research Station, Bahawalpur

Muhammad Usman, Scientific Officer, Soil & Water Conservation Research Station, Fateh Jang, Pakistan

Scientific Officer (Agri-Engineering) BS-17,Soil & Water Conservation Research Station, Fateh Jang, Pakistan

Mahreen Khalid, Senior Scientist, Regional Agricultural Research Institute, Bahawalpur, Pakistan

Senior Scientist (Stattistics) BS-18, Regional Agricultural Research Institute, Bahawalpur

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Enhancing Citrus Yield and Water Use Efficiency in Pakistan’s Arid Zones