Ding et al. (2025) Effects of irrigation and fertilization management on kiwifruit yield, water use efficiency and quality in China: A meta-analysis

Identification

• Journal: Frontiers in Plant Science
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-10-15
• Authors: Yuehua Ding, Chaoqun Shang, Long Zhao, Shanshan Jin, Chenyang Li, Shanshan Yin, Golam Jalal Ahammed
• DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1534702

Research Groups

• College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
• College of Agricultural Equipment Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
• College of Information Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China

Short Summary

This meta-analysis synthesized 1038 observations to evaluate the impact of irrigation and fertilization management on kiwifruit yield, water use efficiency (WUE), and quality in China. It found that optimizing water and nutrient inputs, particularly reducing super-optimal nitrogen and utilizing drip irrigation, significantly improves kiwifruit productivity and quality, highlighting regional and age-dependent responses.

Objective

• To evaluate the effects of fertilization and irrigation on kiwifruit yield in China, considering factors such as average annual rainfall, soil water retention capacity, and irrigation techniques.
• To analyze the effects of different irrigation and fertilization practices on the water use efficiency (WUE) of kiwifruit.
• To assess the effects of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers on the quality indexes of kiwifruit.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: China, encompassing various kiwifruit cultivation areas. Data categorized by annual average rainfall (≤800 mm and > 800 mm) and field water holding capacity (≤28% and > 28%).
• Temporal Scale: Literature published from May 2002 to February 2023. Included studies with data repeated over at least two years. Tree age categorized as ≤8 years and > 8 years.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Meta-analysis using the natural logarithm of the response ratio (RR) as the effect size. A random-effects model was applied due to substantial heterogeneity (I² > 50%, p > 0.1). Egger’s test was used to assess publication bias.
• Data sources: Research literature from Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang, and Google Scholar databases. Additional data, such as annual average rainfall, were sourced from the National Meteorological Science Data Center. A total of 44 publications comprising 1038 paired observations were analyzed.

Main Results

• Non-optimal water input reduced kiwifruit yield by 18.18% and WUE by 6.03% compared to optimal levels.
• Super-optimal water input (W+) significantly reduced kiwifruit yield by 14.19% and WUE by 18.48%.
• The negative impact of W+ on yield and WUE was more pronounced in areas with annual average rainfall > 800 mm (16.43% and 20.78% reduction, respectively).
• Sub-optimal water input (W-) under lower annual average precipitation (≤800 mm) decreased yield by 24.12% and WUE by 13.06%.
• The detrimental effects of non-optimal water input on kiwifruit yield and WUE attenuated with increasing tree age.
• Drip irrigation, when applied with super-optimal water, had a more pronounced negative impact on kiwifruit yield (-16.24%) and WUE (-20.06%) than other irrigation methods.
• Sub-optimal fertilization practices led to reductions in kiwifruit yield (23.04%), single fruit weight (8.67%), soluble sugar content (2.74%), soluble solids (4.24%), and vitamin C content (6.25%), while titratable acidity increased by 2.38%.
• Reducing super-optimal nitrogen fertilizer input increased kiwifruit yield by 32.76%.
• Reducing super-optimal combined nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) input increased kiwifruit yield by 3.45%.
• Kiwifruit exhibits a relatively higher demand for nitrogen and potassium compared to phosphorus.
• Super-optimal NPK fertilizer input significantly reduced soluble sugar content by 6.35% and vitamin C content by 18.37%, while increasing titratable acidity by 4.35% and soluble solids by 6.18%.
• The optimal nitrogen fertilizer level for kiwifruit is generally recommended between 100–105 kg/ha.

Contributions

• Provides a comprehensive, systematic, and quantitative meta-analysis of the effects of irrigation and fertilization management on kiwifruit yield, WUE, and quality in China, addressing existing contradictions in the literature.
• Offers valuable insights and practical guidance for developing sustainable agricultural practices by optimizing water and fertilizer inputs for kiwifruit cultivation.
• Highlights the importance of region-specific thresholds for water and nutrient inputs, considering environmental factors like rainfall and soil capacity, and tree age.
• Identifies drip irrigation as a superior water-saving technique and emphasizes kiwifruit's higher demand for nitrogen and potassium.

Funding

• National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52309050)
• Key R&D and Promotion Projects in Henan Province (Science and Technology Development) (No. 232102110264)
• Key Scientific Research Projects of Colleges and Universities in Henan Province (No. 24B416001)

Citation

@article{Ding2025Effects,
  author = {Ding, Yuehua and Shang, Chaoqun and Zhao, Long and Jin, Shanshan and Li, Chenyang and Yin, Shanshan and Ahammed, Golam Jalal},
  title = {Effects of irrigation and fertilization management on kiwifruit yield, water use efficiency and quality in China: A meta-analysis},
  journal = {Frontiers in Plant Science},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.3389/fpls.2025.1534702},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2025.1534702}
}