Stem water potential, stomatal conductance and yield in irrigated apple trees

Lenka Plavcová, Radek Jupa, Martin Mészáros, Klára Scháňková, Zuzana Kovalíková and Jan Náměstek
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Lenka Plavcová: Faculty of Science, University of Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
Radek Jupa: Faculty of Science, University of Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
Martin Mészáros: Research and Breeding Institute of Pomology, Holovousy, Hořice, Czech Republic
Klára Scháňková: Research and Breeding Institute of Pomology, Holovousy, Hořice, Czech Republic
Zuzana Kovalíková: Faculty of Science, University of Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
Jan Náměstek: Research and Breeding Institute of Pomology, Holovousy, Hořice, Czech Republic

Plant, Soil and Environment, 2023, vol. 69, issue 7, 303-313

Abstract: Plant-based indicators of water status, such as midday stem water potential (Ψstem) and leaf stomatal conductance (gs), are used to optimise irrigation scheduling in horticultural crops because they integrate the effect of soil and climatic conditions and the internal physiological constraints. The use of these indicators relies on experimentally acquired thresholds that relate the value of the indicator to negative effects on yield. In five irrigation treatments, we monitored yield, fruit size and the courses of Ψstem and gs throughout four consecutive growing seasons. We found that Ψstem was more sensitive to irrigation treatment than gs. Both indicators increased with available soil water content (ASWC) and decreased with evaporative demands of the atmosphere (ETC). On a seasonal basis, crop load had a stronger impact on gs than Ψstem. In summary, our study explored the effect of environmental conditions and crop load on plant-based indicators of tree water status and can be useful for establishing thresholds for irrigation scheduling in apple tree orchards.

Keywords: drought; water dynamic; fruit trees; gas exchange; deficit; abiotic stress (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:69:y:2023:i:7:id:160-2023-pse

DOI: 10.17221/160/2023-PSE

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