Sustainability of Rain-Fed Fig Production (Ficus carica) under Supplemental Irrigation in Semi-Arid Regions

In arid and semi-arid regions, inadequate rainfall necessitates supplemental irrigation to meet crop water requirements. Selecting the appropriate method is crucial for success. A two-years field experiment was conducted in Kharameh Region, Iran, to investigate the effect of different supplemental irrigation methods on fig tree yield, physiological response, and water productivity. Three irrigation methods including flood irrigation, subsurface drip irrigation, micro jet irrigation, and no supplemental irrigation (control) were applied as four treatments in five replications. Results showed that subsurface and micro jet irrigation significantly increased leaves width by 18.2%, shoot length by 27%, and shoot diameter by 13%. Micro jet irrigation also increased the amounts of chlorophyll in fig leaves by 14%, the average of total fruit numbers by 134%, and the average of total fruit weight by 54% as compared to the average of other treatments treatments. Furthermore, the highest level of water productivity were in micro jet irrigation techniques, while it dropped by 40% with subsurface drip irrigation. The practical implications of this study involve boosting fig yield, refining water management strategies, increasing drought resistance, analyzing economic feasibility, gauging sustainability, and supporting the sharing of knowledge and skills for fig cultivation in semi-arid areas.