Search results for " water potential."
showing 10 items of 34 documents
Agro-hydrological models and field measurements to assess the water status of a citrus orchard irrigated with micro-sprinkler and subsurface drip sys…
2021
Compared to the micro-sprinkler irrigation, traditionally used in citrus orchards, subsurface drip systems (SDS) allow increasing the water use efficiency (WUE); when coupled with water-saving strategies, like regulated deficit irrigation (RDI), further increase of WUE are possible. Combining measurements of soil water content (SWC) and weather data with measurements of midday stem water potential (MSWP) makes it possible to identify irrigation scheduling parameters for the RDI. However, measurements of MSWP are destructive and time-consuming, and also require skilled operators. For all these reasons, the use of the agro-hydrological models, such as the FAO-56 model, can be considered a sur…
Responses of Prunus ferganensis, Prunus persica and two interspecific hybrids to moderate drought stress
2003
Prunus ferganensis (Kost. & Riab) Kov. & Kost, a close relative of the cultivated peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch.), is native to arid regions of central Asia and may possess traits valuable for improving drought tolerance of commercial peach varieties. One distinguishing feature of P. ferganensis is its prominent, elongated, unbranched leaf venation pattern, which behaves as a simple recessive trait in segregating populations of P. ferganensis x P. persica hybrids. To understand whether this trait could be used as a marker in breeding for drought tolerance, we investigated the association between leaf morphological and physiological parameters related to drought response in P. ferganensi…
Water status and gas exchange of pistachio trees under different irrigation levels
2017
The aim of this study was to investigate the physiological responses of pistachio trees to varying water supply in the attempt to identify reliable parameters to manage irrigation. Three different irrigation regimes were applied to 25-year-old pistachio trees of cultivar 'Bianca' on P. terebinthus rootstock. Midday stem water potential (ΨSWP), leaf relative water content (RWC), light-saturated net CO2assimilation (An), stomatal conductance (gs), and ambient conditions were monitored throughout the season, and light response curves of net photosynthesis were constructed. To reflect tree water status, trees were separated into three classes of ΨSWP, no deficit (ΨSWP> -1.5 MPa), mild defici…
Kairomone involvement in the host specificity of the egg parasitoid Trissolcus basalis
2006
This paper reports the results of a comparative laboratory analysis of the behavioural responses of the egg parasitoid Trissolcus basalis (Wollaston) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) to semiochemical cues from four species of pentatomid bugs, Nezara viridula (L.), Eurydema ventrale Klt., Murgantia histrionica Hahn. and Graphosoma semipunctatum F. (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). In a Y-tube olfactometer, T. basalis was attracted by volatile chemicals from N. viridula, but not from other pentatomid species. In an open arena, the parasitoid reacted to chemical trails left on filter paper by all the species but most intensely to those left by N. viridula. However, upon encountering pentatomid eggs, T. b…
Sustainability of pistachio production (Pistacia vera L.) under supplemental irrigation in a Mediterranean climate
2018
Abstract The objective of this study was to examine the effects of supplemental micro-irrigation, in a commercial rainfed orchard, on tree water status, gas exchange and productivity of Pistacia vera L. (cv Bianca) grafted on P. terebinthus. Irrigating with 10–15% of estimated full evaporative demand significantly increased average annual productivity by increasing yield in the on-crop year of this alternate bearing species. Irrigation increased yield by 30%, resulting in 1600 kg of in-shell product per ha. Irrigation delayed leaf senescence while flower bud abscission was not reduced until the third year of experiment. Irrigation did not improve gas exchange during Stage I (pericarp growth…
Mapping evapotranspiration on vineyards: A comparison between Penman-Monteith and energy balance approaches for operational purposes
2012
Estimation of evapotranspiration (ET) in Sicilian vineyard is an emerging issue since these agricultural systems are more and more converted from rainfed to irrigated conditions, with significant impacts on the management of the scarce water resources of the region. The choice of the most appropriate methodology for assessing water use in these systems is still an issue of debating, due to the complexity of canopy and root systems and for their high spatial fragmentation. In vineyards, quality and quantity of the final product are dependent on the controlled stress conditions to be set trough irrigation. This paper reports an application of the well-known Penman-Monteith approach, applied i…
Comparing actual evapotranspiration and plant water potential on a vineyard
2011
Agricultural water requirement in arid and semi-arid environments represents an important fraction of the total water consumption, suggesting the need of appropriate water management practices to sparingly use the resource. Furthermore the quality and quantity of some crops products, such as grape, is improved under a controlled amount of water stress. The latter is related, on a side to actual evapotranspiration (ET) through water demand, on the other side to plant water content through leaf water potential. Residual energy balance approaches based on remote sensing allow to estimate the spatial distribution of daily actual ET at plant scale, representing an useful tool to detect its spati…
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
E.O.-based estimation of transpiration and crop water requirements for vineyards: a case study in southern Italy
2014
An efficient use of water for irrigation is a challenging task. From an agronomical point of view, it requires establishing the optimal amount of water to be supplied, at the correct time, based on phenological phase and water stress spatial distribution. Indeed, the knowledge of the actual water stress is essential for agronomic decisions, vineyards need to be managed to maintain a moderate water stress, thus allowing to optimize berries quality and quantity. Methods for quickly quantifying where, when and in what extent, vines begin to experience water stress are beneficial. Traditional point based methodologies, such those based on Scholander pressure chamber, even if well established ar…