Effects of partial rootzone drying and rootstock vigour on growth and fruit quality of 'Pink Lady' apple trees in Mediterranean environments

2008

We investigated the effects of partial rootzone drying (PRD) and rootstock vigour on water relations, and vegetative and productive performance of ‘Pink Lady’ apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) trees in central Sicily. In a first field trial, trees on MM.106 rootstock were subjected to: Conventional irrigation (CI), maintaining soil moisture above 80% of field capacity; PRD irrigation, where only one alternated side of the rootzone received 50% of the CI irrigation water; and continuous deficit irrigation (DI), where 50% of the CI water was equally applied to both sides of the rootzone. In a second trial, trees on M.9 or MM.106 were subjected to CI and PRD irrigation. PRD reduced stomatal condu…

The effect of saline water on Phillyrea angustifolia L. seedlings

2013

Water limitations in the Mediterranean areas are very common and the use of saline water for plant irrigation is becoming a necessity. Salinity generally affects plant growth and physiological processes, and can eventually lead to leaf injuries and plant death. For these reasons, the selection of salt tolerant species is a priority for landscaping purposes in the Mediterranean areas. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of saline water on Phillyrea angustifolia plant performance. Seventy-five rooted cuttings were grown in the greenhouse in 4-liter pots and irrigated for 5 months with saline water at different NaCl concentrations for two consecutive years. In 2010, 45 plant…

Water Deficit Affects the Growth and Leaf Metabolite Composition of Young Loquat Plants

2020

Water scarcity in the Mediterranean area is very common and understanding responses to drought is important for loquat management and production. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of drought on the growth and metabolism of loquat. Ninety two-year-old plants of &lsquo

GROWTH AND BIOMASS PARTITIONING OF YOUNG LOQUAT PLANTS UNDER WATER DEFICIT

2015

Water scarcity in the Mediterranean areas is very common and understanding responses to drought is important for loquat management and production. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of water deficit on growth and biomass partitioning of loquat. Ninety 1-year-old plants of 'Marchetto' loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) grafted on quince were grown in the greenhouse in 12-liter pots and three water regimes were imposed starting on 11 May and until 27 July, 2013. One-third of the plants was irrigated to reintegrate 100% of the water consumed (CTR); a second group of plants was irrigated with 66% of the water consumed by CTR plants (MD); a third group was irrigated with 33%…

Growth and biomass partitioning of Arbutus unedo, Laurus nobilis, Phillyrea angustifolia and Rhamnus alaternus seedlings under water deficit

2013

Water scarcity in the Mediterranean areas is very common and the selection of drought tolerant species is a priority for landscaping purposes in the Mediterranean areas. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of water deficit on growth and biomass partitioning of Arbutus unedo, Laurus nobilis, Phillyrea angustifolia and Rhamnus alaternus. Seventy-two seedlings per species were grown in the greenhouse in 4-liter pots and three water regimes were imposed starting on 6 April and until 9 June, 2010. One-third of the plants was well irrigated to maintain soil water content in the 25-35% range (CTR); a second group of plants was deficit-irrigated to maintain soil water content in …

Vegetative and productive responses of ‘Conference’ and ‘Williams’ pear trees planted at different in-row spacings

2006

Abstract The effect of in-row spacing on the vegetative and productive performance of 4-year-old ‘Conference’ (CON) and ‘Williams’ (WIL) pear trees was studied. Analysis of digital images was used to estimate canopy growth and conformation. Fruit quality was determined by measuring fruit weight, flesh firmness, peel color, soluble solid content, and titratable acidity. WIL produced more and more efficiently than CON, especially at closer spacings. WIL canopies were generally bigger than CON canopies, and reduced spacing penalized stem growth and influenced canopy conformation. Root growth and conformation was similar for both cultivars, whereas decreasing in-row spacing reduced root dry wei…

Effects of partial rootzone drying and rootstock vigour on dry matter partitioning of apple trees (Malus domesticacvar Pink Lady)

2011

SUMMARYThe effects of partial rootzone drying (PRD) and rootstock vigour on dry matter accumulation and partitioning among leaves, shoots, fruits, frame and roots of apple trees (Malus domesticaBorkh. cvar Pink Lady) were investigated in 2005 near Caltavuturo, in Sicily. In a first field trial, trees on MM.106 rootstock were subjected to: conventional irrigation (CI), maintaining soil moisture above 0·80 of field capacity; PRD irrigation, where alternating sides of the rootzone received 0·50 of the CI irrigation water; and continuous deficit irrigation (DI), where 0·50 of the CI water was equally applied to both sides of the rootzone. In a second trial, trees on M.9 or MM.106 were subjected…

EVALUATION OF SEED GERMINATION AND SEEDLING GROWTH OF SICILIAN AND INTERNATIONAL LOQUAT CULTIVARS

2015

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica, Lindl) is commonly grafted on seedling rootstocks in Sicilian orchards. Seedling production is characterized by low germination percentage and velocity and slow plant growth. The aim of this study was to evaluate loquat seed germination of Sicilian and international cultivars. Seeds from 11 cultivars (Algerie, Bianco Dolce, BRT20, Claudia, Fiore, Golden Nugget, La Mantia, Magdal, Mercenò, Peluche, Tanaka) were collected from mature fruits in commercial orchards. Part of the seeds received a pretreatment with 1% HCl for 24 h. Germination data were collected at 30 days from sowing. Ninety days after germination, plants were transplanted into 2-L pots. The Sicilian…

Growth, fruit yield and quality of ‘Golden Delicious’ apple trees under fixed partial rootzone drying

2007

Split water application for a water supply reduction in Callistemon Citrinus pot plant

2018

Article Irrigation management in Greenhouse Nursery Production (GNP) is based on empiric methods based on farmer personal experiences with over-irrigation results. The effects of irrigation volume and daily application were studied in a pot experiment carried out on rooted cuttings in a greenhouse The irrigation volume treatment was performed on Full and reduced Treatment. The treatment of water application was carried out with split supply and unsplit supply. The effects of the treatments were evaluated in terms of biomass accumulation and partitioning, leaf area, photosynthesis and stomatal response, chlorophyll content, and water productivity. Callistemon showed a good adaptation to the …