Effects of Irrigation on Biomass Production of 32 Prosopis (Mesquite) Accessions

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Abstract
Thirty-two Prosopis accessions were studied and biomass production (dry matter) determined for 27 of them, which were irrigated when the soil moisture tension reached 60, 200, or 500 kPa. Three seasons after transplanting (i.e. after 2½ years) the trees were harvested, weighed, and sub-sampled for moisture content determinations. Little difference was observed in productivity among irrigation treatments. A 20-fold range in biomass productivity occurred among accessions; Prosopis chilensis (0009) from Argentina gave the greatest production of 13.4 t ha−1 a−1. The water use efficiency of US rangeland accessions ranged from 2300–2600 kg H2O kg dry matter−1. P. chilensis (0009) in the driest irrigation treatment had a water use efficiency of 345 kg H2O kg dry matter−1.