| The Murcia Region, with 12.000 ha of apricot cultivation area, contributes with 51% to the national production; the economic sector is, therefore, of a great importance. The edapho-climatic demands of the cultivation force its locating in zones in which the shortage of the water becomes one of the factor constraints of its productivity.;Provided that the parameters of the soil behave as regionalized variables, it has been established, in the experimental plot, some zones of average characteristics in which samples can be taken.;Three soil tillage have been practiced between rows: control (non-tillage), micro-catchments and mechanically perforated, in order to take advantage of the rainwater as well as to avoid run-off. Hydrodynamic characteristics of soil surface has been made. The results showed that soil tillage reduces run-off and propitiates the infiltration, avoiding the soil losses and saving irrigation water. The micro-catchments and mechanically perforated soil tillage practices were able to catch 86 and 57% of rain, respectively, saving about 10% of irrigation water, with respect to the control.;Also, three irrigation treatments were applied: T-0 (irrigated to 100% of ETc); T-1 (irrigation was reduced to 40% of ETc, except during the critical periods of second rapid fruit growth and first postharvest, when 100% of ETc was applied), and T-2 (irrigated as T-1, but during the first postharvest period the irrigation was reduced to 70% of ETc). The water savings were 16 and 24% for T-1 and T-2, respectively, without decrease of the yield and fruit quality.;A study of the rain events and the run-off originated was carried out. Different mathematical models are proposed that relate the run-off produced with the volumes and intensity of rain, explaining up to 91% of generation of those, for three soil tillage practices. Leaf water potentials at predawn, midday sunlit and covered (xylem), and soil water content were measured through the experimental period in the different soil tillage and irrigation treatments. Spatial distribution of roots in the soil tillage practices was studied. |
