Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium L.) Response to Self-Regulating Low Energy Clay-Based Irrigation (S.L.E.C.I.) System
Journal
Plants
Date Issued
2025-11-19
Author(s)
Malchev, Svetoslav
Germanova, Daniela
Kornov, Georgi
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14223533
Abstract
In early initial tests, the Self-regulating Low-Energy Clay-based Irrigation (S.L.E.C.I.) has
provided convincing results. During the DIVAGRI project, S.L.E.C.I. irrigation was plotted
against reference drip irrigation and rain-fed control in order to compare soil moisture
dynamics across different soil depths (30 cm, 60 cm, and 90 cm), irrigation water use, cherry
fruit quality traits and yield, and irrigation water productivity (IWP). The data, collected
between 2021 and 2023 at the Fruit Growing Institute–Plovdiv test site, reveals that S.L.E.C.I.
system demonstrates a clear robustness from short-term climate fluctuations, maintaining
root-zone moisture with greater consistency across depths. This contrasts with higher
climate dependency observed in the reference variants. The average water productivity of
S.L.E.C.I. irrigation is more than 12 times higher compared with the average IWP for drip
irrigation. Probably, the superior ratio stems from two factors: first, S.L.E.C.I. delivered
only the water that root tension demanded, and second, there is almost no loss of water
to evaporation or deep percolation. Statistical analysis confirms that S.L.E.C.I. reduces
variability within the crop, delivering significant improvements in both productivity and
uniformity, essential traits for high-value commercial fruit production. Despite facing
challenges, S.L.E.C.I. remains a promising sustainable irrigation technology, supporting
efficient resource utilization while reducing environmental impact.
provided convincing results. During the DIVAGRI project, S.L.E.C.I. irrigation was plotted
against reference drip irrigation and rain-fed control in order to compare soil moisture
dynamics across different soil depths (30 cm, 60 cm, and 90 cm), irrigation water use, cherry
fruit quality traits and yield, and irrigation water productivity (IWP). The data, collected
between 2021 and 2023 at the Fruit Growing Institute–Plovdiv test site, reveals that S.L.E.C.I.
system demonstrates a clear robustness from short-term climate fluctuations, maintaining
root-zone moisture with greater consistency across depths. This contrasts with higher
climate dependency observed in the reference variants. The average water productivity of
S.L.E.C.I. irrigation is more than 12 times higher compared with the average IWP for drip
irrigation. Probably, the superior ratio stems from two factors: first, S.L.E.C.I. delivered
only the water that root tension demanded, and second, there is almost no loss of water
to evaporation or deep percolation. Statistical analysis confirms that S.L.E.C.I. reduces
variability within the crop, delivering significant improvements in both productivity and
uniformity, essential traits for high-value commercial fruit production. Despite facing
challenges, S.L.E.C.I. remains a promising sustainable irrigation technology, supporting
efficient resource utilization while reducing environmental impact.