Intercepted Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) and Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Transmitted PAR under High-Density and Super High-Density Olive Orchards

Adolfo Rosati, Damiano Marchionni, Dario Mantovani, Luigi Ponti and Franco Famiani
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Adolfo Rosati: Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Centre for Olive, Fruit and Citrus Crops, via Nursina 2, 06049 Spoleto, Italy
Damiano Marchionni: Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Centre for Olive, Fruit and Citrus Crops, via Nursina 2, 06049 Spoleto, Italy
Dario Mantovani: Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Centre for Olive, Fruit and Citrus Crops, via Nursina 2, 06049 Spoleto, Italy
Luigi Ponti: Agenzia Nazionale per le Nuove Tecnologie, L’energia e lo Sviluppo Economico Sostenibile (ENEA), Centro Ricerche Casaccia, via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy
Franco Famiani: Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Perugia, 06121 Perugia, Italy

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 4, 1-18

Abstract: We quantified the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) interception in a high-density (HD) and a super high-density (SHD) or hedgerow olive system, by measuring the PAR transmitted under the canopy along transects at increasing distance from the tree rows. Transmitted PAR was measured every minute, then cumulated over the day and the season. The frequencies of the different PAR levels occurring during the day were calculated. SHD intercepted significantly but slightly less overall PAR than HD (0.57 ± 0.002 vs. 0.62 ± 0.03 of the PAR incident above the canopy) but had a much greater spatial variability of transmitted PAR (0.21 under the tree row, up to 0.59 in the alley center), compared to HD (range: 0.34–0.43). This corresponded to greater variability in the frequencies of daily PAR values, with the more shaded positions receiving greater frequencies of low PAR values. The much lower PAR level under the tree row in SHD, compared to any position in HD, implies greater self-shading in lower-canopy layers, despite similar overall interception. Therefore, knowing overall PAR interception does not allow an understanding of differences in PAR distribution on the ground and within the canopy and their possible effects on canopy radiation use efficiency (RUE) and performance, between different architectural systems.

Keywords: grove; light; radiation use efficiency; olea europaea (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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