How much water a date palm tree need in a typical year in liters
Executive summary
A mature date palm’s annual water need varies widely by climate, soil and irrigation practice — reported ranges run roughly 115–306 m3 (115,000–306,000 L) per tree per year in MENA surveys [1] and 73–95 m3/tree/year in several Saudi study sites (73,000–95,000 L) [2]. FAO and country studies express this as per-hectare volumes that also vary sharply (15,000–34,190 m3/ha/yr in Algerian examples) and convert to similar per-tree numbers depending on planting density [3].
1. Big picture: "Huge range" is the headline
Date-palm water needs are not a single number; published field studies and reviews show annual irrigation per mature palm in arid regions spans roughly 73–306 cubic metres per tree (73,000–306,000 litres) depending on site and methods [2] [1]. International and FAO-type calculations express requirements at farm scale — for example, Sahara date areas of Algeria were estimated at about 34,190 m3/ha/year while other Algerian regions needed only 15,000 m3/ha/year [3]. Those per-hectare figures translate to large per-tree volumes once planting density is factored in.
2. Regional studies give concrete examples
Detailed field work in Saudi Arabia measured annual irrigation needs per tree of about 73–95 m3 depending on region (73,000–95,000 L/tree/year) when orchards averaged 100 trees/ha [2]. Kuwait modelling estimated annual crop water requirements around 2,685 mm (ETc) and gave per-tree daily net irrigation ranges from ~97 L/day in winter to 854 L/day at summer peaks, indicating strong seasonality [4]. An Algerian experimental site reported 145–218 m3 per palm annually (145,000–218,000 L) in localized irrigation trials [5].
3. Why numbers differ: climate, density, and irrigation method
Differences in reported volumes stem from evaporative demand, planting density, canopy size, root zone management, soil texture and irrigation efficiency. Studies using FAO CROPWAT or Penman–Monteith methods convert climate and crop coefficients into ETc; applied water per hectare then depends on trees per hectare and system efficiency [4] [2]. FAO guidance highlights stark intra-country differences: the Sahara versus Ziran region example where water per hectare more than doubles [3].
4. Seasonality and peaks matter more than annual averages
Field measurements show strong monthly variation: Kuwait’s monthly ETc ranged from ~74 mm in January to ~392 mm in June, and corresponding per-tree daily needs rose to several hundred litres in summer [4]. Saudi work likewise highlights larger irrigation in hot months; applied annual totals are an aggregation of these peaks [2]. Practical irrigation schedules must account for flowering and fruit-fill stages when palms demand more water.
5. Small-scale and horticultural guidance vs. commercial figures
Garden- and nursery-focused sources give much smaller per-tree prescriptions (for establishment: dozens of litres per week) and sometimes claim mature palms need modest weekly volumes (e.g., 100–200 L/week in popular guides), but those figures differ from measured commercial orchard requirements in arid regions [6] [7]. Professional, peer-reviewed and FAO-derived studies for commercial date production consistently report orders-of-magnitude higher annual volumes [4] [2] [3].
6. Water quality and salinity affect amounts and plant response
Research on saline irrigation shows date palms tolerate some salinity but still require substantial water to sustain yield and leaching. ICBA work and other salinity studies note that even with saline sources, palms still need irrigation and that salinity changes canopy interception and likely alters required volumes [8] [9]. Algerian trials examined irrigation under local salinity conditions and reported specific per-tree annual volumes [5].
7. Practical takeaway for a "typical" year
Available sources do not give a single universal "typical year" litre number. For a commercial mature palm in hot, arid commercial groves, typical annual irrigation commonly falls between about 73,000 and 306,000 L per tree (73–306 m3) depending on location and system [2] [1]. For smaller gardens or newly planted trees, weekly watering recommendations are often expressed in tens to low hundreds of litres [6] [7], and these are not directly comparable to commercial ETc figures.
Limitations and divergent views: the literature mixes modelling (FAO/CROPWAT), measured ET in experimental orchards, and horticultural advice; each uses different units and baselines, producing divergent numbers [4] [2] [6]. If you want a precise litre/year estimate for a specific planting, provide location, tree age, spacing, soil type and irrigation method so researchers’ methods (ETc modelling or field measurement) can be applied to your case. Available sources do not mention a single standardized "one-size-fits-all" annual litre figure.