A short-term assessment of pulsed drip irrigation on blueberry production and soil-water behavior of Morocco’s sandy soils

Water scarcity poses serious threats to agriculture and efficient irrigation practices are essential to mitigating this impact. Such practices should not only optimize crop water consumption but also account for soil type, such as sandy soil cases with low water-holding capacity and fast water movement below the root zone. Endorsing short-duration and more frequent (pulsed) irrigation events thus becomes paramount to improving soil water distribution and efficient crop water uptake. Accordingly, a study on blueberries was carried out in a greenhouse in Morocco to assess the performance of short-term pulsed drip irrigation technique (PLS) on soil characteristics, soil water fluxes, and yield. Within a plastic tunnel (34 m × 30 m) 10 strips were selected: 5 strips operated under PLS and 5 under continuous drip irrigation practices (N-PLS) to measure soil water content, soil electrical conductivity (ECe) and pH. The results indicated that PLS drip irrigation, using on average 8 pulses/day, increased yield by 10%, fruit size by 8%, and water and nutrient use efficiency of blueberry by 9%, compared to N-PLS irrigation (one times/day). Flow pulses followed by breaks also improved water redistribution in the root zone, better-controlled soil ECe pattern, and maintained pH values within the optimal range for blueberries.