Oranges are highly sensitive to changes in irrigation sources. Many studies suggest that when properly irrigated, orange trees can grow 1.5 times faster than those that are not sufficiently watered. In arid regions with temperatures exceeding 37°C, the growth rate of orange fruits can double between trees that receive adequate irrigation and those that do not.
There are three basic rules in automatic orange irrigation: always keep the soil moist and irrigate whenever the soil dries out; young trees require more frequent watering; and the water demand in sandy soil areas can be three times higher than in loamy soil regions.
The most standardized and widely used irrigation solution for oranges today is using low-flow micro-sprinklers or drip irrigation tubing wrapped around the tree base to irrigate under the canopy. This technique is also applicable to most citrus crops such as pomelo and lemon.