Plant Water Status as an Index of Irrigation Need in Deciduous Fruit Trees

• DOI: 10.21273/horttech.7.1.23
• Publication Date: 2018-12-14T17:14:10Z
• Authors: Kenneth A. Shackel; H. Ahmadi; W. Biasi; R. Buchner; D. Goldhamer; S. Gurusinghe; J. Hasey; D. Kester; B. Krueger; B. Lampinen; G. McGourty; W. Micke; E. Mitcham; B. Olson; K. Pelletrau; H. Philips; D. Ramos; L. Schwankl; S. Sibbett; R. Snyder; S. Southwick; M. Stevenson; M. Thorpe; S. Weinbaum; J. Yeager
• Keywords: Stomatal Conductance; Water use; Main stem

To be useful for indicating plant water needs, any measure of stress should closely related to some the known short- and medium-term responses, such as stomatal closure reduced rates expansive growth. Midday stem potential has proven a index in number fruit tree species. Day-to-day fluctuations under well-irrigated conditions are well correlated with midday vapor-pressure deficit, and, hence, nonstressed baseline can predicted. Measuring helped explain results 3-year deficit irrigation study mature prunes, which showed that could have either positive or negative impacts on productivity, depending soil conditions. Mild moderate was economically beneficial. In almond, overall growth measured by increases trunk cross-sectional area. cherry, leaf conductance shoot growth, essentially stopping once dropped between −1.5 −1.7 MPa. pear, size other quality attributes (soluble solids, color) were all associated potential. many these field studies, systematic tree-to-tree differences status large enough obscure treatment effects. Hence, absence plant-based stress, it may difficult determine whether lack an effect indicates physiological response status, rather is due ineffectiveness influencing status. These data indicate used quantify reliably guide decisions site-specific basis.