The default for date growers is to apply excessive water, but doing so is neither economically nor environmentally sound. To help growers, Ali Montazar, UC Cooperative Extension irrigation and water management advisor for Imperial, Riverside and San Diego counties, has developed knowledge that enables growers in the region to establish improved irrigation guidelines.
Since 2019, Montazar has been focused on irrigation management for date palms in the Coachella Valley, the largest producer of dates in the US. His research identifies how much water is needed for the crop and the best water delivery method according to location, soil type and conditions and date cultivars.
Robert Krueger, a USDA horticulturist and Montazar's co-author of a paper on date palm irrigation management: “Ali is the first to really look at micro-sprinklers and flood irrigation for date palms.” He added that the other advantage of Montazar's research is that it prepares growers for production during times of reduced water supply.
Source: farmprogress.com
