Evaluation of water use, yield and water productivity of a high-density orchard (cv. Cobrançosa) subjected to different irrigation regimes – An account of four years

The impact of different irrigation scheduling regimes on the water use, yield and water productivity from a high-density olive grove cv. Cobrançosa in southern Portugal was assessed during the irrigation seasons of 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. The experiments were conducted in a commercial olive orchard at the Herdade Álamo de Cima, near Évora (38o 29' 49.44'' N, 7o 45' 8.83'' W; alt. 75 m) in southern Alentejo, Portugal. The orchard was established with 10-year old Cobrançosa trees in grids of 8.0 x 4.2 m (300 trees ha-1) in the E-W direction, and experiments conducted on a shallow sandy loam Regosoil Haplic soil. From mid-May to the end of September the orchard was irrigated and three plots were subjected to one of two irrigation treatments: a control treatment A, irrigated to replace 100% ETc, a moderate deficit irrigation treatment B irrigated to 70% of ETc, and a more severe deficit irrigation treatment C that provided for approximately 50% of ETc. Daily tree transpiration rates were obtained by continuously monitoring of sap flow in representative trees per treatment. Among the irrigated treatments, water use efficiency (WUE, ratio of water used to irrigation- water applied) of treatment C was the highest, with a value of 0.89, being treatment B slightly lower, with a WUE of 0.76. Olive harvest for 2012 was an exceptional “on year”. Bearing yields showed contrasting differences within years where an “on year” was followed by an “off year”. In 2011 and 2012 treatment B yields were 41 and 50% higher than treatment C, respectively. In 2013 treatment B yield was 45% higher than yield of the fully irrigated treatment A, and treatment C showed practically the same yield than treatment A. In the “on year” of 2014 treatment B averaged 48% higher yield than treatment C. Treatment B farm irrigation water productivity (WPI-Farm, ratio of yield to water applied) was the highest among all treatments. Treatment A showed the lowest conversion efficiency of all treatments, indicating treatment B as the adequate deficit irrigation treatment for our Cobrançosa orchard

Resposta do Olival Intensivo e Super-Intensivo a Dois Regimes de Rega: Parâmetros Fisiológicos, Produção e Qualidade

O olival de regadio tem tido grande expansão nos últimos anos no Alentejo, sendo a administração da rega mais adequada às necessidades hídricas um dos fatores determinantes da sua boa gestão. No presente trabalho, avaliou-se a resposta de duas variedades de Olea europaea, Cobrançosa e Arbequina, em regime intensivo e super- intensivo, respetivamente, a duas dotações de rega, a normalmente utilizada pelo agricultor (RA) e outra experimental, com dotações acima (RA+) ou abaixo (RA−) das praticados em RA. Mediram-se os principais parâmetros hídricos das plantas e o teor em clorofilas, e registou-se a assinatura espectral em folhas adultas e jovens, ao meio- dia solar, em três épocas do ano, primavera, final do verão e inverno de 2011. Em Outubro foi feita a colheita, tendo-se quantificado a produção em termos de produção total e teor de óleo na matéria seca, e a qualidade do azeite em termos de acidez e oxidação. Face aos resultados, conclui-se que no olival intensivo de Cobrançosa, na rega experimental (RA+), acima da praticada pelo agricultor, não se verificou diferenças significativas na produção total nem no teor de óleo na matéria seca. Não se verificaram também diferenças significativas entre as regas nos parâmetros hídricos avaliados. Quanto ao olival super-intensivo de Arbequina, a rega experimental (RA−), deficitária relativamente à do agricultor (RA), acarretou menor produção, associada a menor teor relativo de água nas folhas, potenciais hídricos mais negativos e menor condutância estomática no final do verão e inverno, mantendo-se no entanto o teor de óleo nos frutos. O teor em clorofilas e alguns índices de vegetação foram influenciados pelo regime de rega apenas em algumas das datas. Nos dois olivais, as regas experimentais não influenciaram a qualidade do azeite, tendo-se obtido azeites extra virgem com propriedades semelhantes aos das modalidades RA. O estudo prossegue em 2012.

Linking thermal imaging to physiological indicators in Carica papaya L. under different watering regimes

Water deficit is the most limiting factor for yield and fruit-quality parameters in papaya crop (Carica papaya L.), deficit-irrigation (DI) strategies offering a feasible alternative to manage limiting water resources. When DI is applied, it is crucial to assess the physiological status of the crop in order to maintain the plant within a threshold value of water stress so as no to affect yield or fruit-quality parameters. The aim of this work was to evaluate the feasibility of thermal imaging in young papaya plants to assess the physiological status of this crop when it is subjected to different DI regimes, studying the relationships between the changes in leaf temperature (Tleaf) and in the major physiological parameters (i.e., stomatal conductance to water vapor, gs; transpiration, E; and net photosynthesis, An). The trial was conducted in a greenhouse from March to April of 2012. Plants were grown in pots and subjected to four irrigation treatments: (1) a full irrigation treatment (control), maintained at field capacity; (2) a partial root-zone drying treatment, irrigated with 50% of the total water applied to control to only one side of roots, alternating the sides every 7 days; (3) a regulated deficit irrigation (50% of the control, applied to both sides of plant); (4) and a non-irrigated treatment, in which irrigation was withheld from both sides of the split root for 14 days, followed by full irrigation until the end of the study. Significant relationships were found between Tleaf and major physiological variables such as gs, E and An. Additionally, significant relationships were found between the difference of leaf-to-air temperature (ΔTleaf–air) and gas-exchange measurements, which were used to establish the optimum range of ΔTleaf–air as a preliminary step to the crop-water monitoring and irrigation scheduling in papaya, using thermal imaging as the main source of information. According to the results, we conclude that thermal imaging is a promising technique to monitor the physiological status of papaya during drought conditions.

Linking thermal imaging to physiological indicators in Carica papaya L. under different watering regimes

Water deficit is the most limiting factor for yield and fruit-quality parameters in papaya crop (Carica papaya L.), deficit-irrigation (DI) strategies offering a feasible alternative to manage limiting water resources. When DI is applied, it is crucial to assess the physiological status of the crop in order to maintain the plant within a threshold value of water stress so as no to affect yield or fruit-quality parameters. The aim of this work was to evaluate the feasibility of thermal imaging in young papaya plants to assess the physiological status of this crop when it is subjected to different DI regimes, studying the relationships between the changes in leaf temperature (Tleaf) and in the major physiological parameters (i.e., stomatal conductance to water vapor, gs; transpiration, E; and net photosynthesis, An). The trial was conducted in a greenhouse from March to April of 2012. Plants were grown in pots and subjected to four irrigation treatments: (1) a full irrigation treatment (control), maintained at field capacity; (2) a partial root-zone drying treatment, irrigated with 50% of the total water applied to control to only one side of roots, alternating the sides every 7 days; (3) a regulated deficit irrigation (50% of the control, applied to both sides of plant); (4) and a non-irrigated treatment, in which irrigation was withheld from both sides of the split root for 14 days, followed by full irrigation until the end of the study. Significant relationships were found between Tleaf and major physiological variables such as gs, E and An. Additionally, significant relationships were found between the difference of leaf-to-air temperature (ΔTleaf–air) and gas-exchange measurements, which were used to establish the optimum range of ΔTleaf–air as a preliminary step to the crop-water monitoring and irrigation scheduling in papaya, using thermal imaging as the main source of information. According to the results, we conclude that thermal imaging is a promising technique to monitor the physiological status of papaya during drought conditions.