Scheduling peach orchard irrigation in water stress conditions: use of relative transpiration and predawn leaf water potential

Although transplanted trees typically establish and grow without incident in frequently irrigated turfgrass, their performance in precisely irrigated turfgrass in an arid climate is not known. We investigated the effect of precision irrigation scheduling on growth and water relations of balled-and-burlapped littleleaf linden (Tilia cordata Mill. `Greenspire') planted in buffalograss (Buchloë dactyloides [Nutt.] Engelm. `Tatanka') and kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.). Over 2 years, trees in turfgrass were irrigated either by frequent replacement based on local reference evapotranspiration, or precision irrigated by estimating depletion of soil water to the point of incipient water stress for each turfgrass species. Predawn leaf water potential and stomatal conductance of trees were measured during first-year establishment, and predawn leaf water potential was measured during a mid-season water-deficit period during the second year. Trunk diameter growth and total tree leaf area were measured at the end of each year. Values of predawn leaf water potential and stomatal conductance of trees in precision-irrigated buffalograss were lower (–0.65 MPa, 25.3 mmol·m–2·s–1) than those of trees in the other treatments near the end of the first growing season. The longer interval between precision irrigations resulted in mild water stress, but was not manifested in growth differences among trees across treatments during the first season. During the water-deficit period of the second year, there was no evidence of stress among the trees regardless of treatment. At the end of the second season, total leaf area of trees grown in precision-irrigated kentucky bluegrass (1.10 ± 0.34 m2) was 46% of that of trees grown in buffalograss (2.39 ± 0.82 m2) that were irrigated frequently. Trunk diameter growth of trees in frequently irrigated kentucky bluegrass (1.91 ± 2.65 mm) was 29% of that of the trees grown in buffalograss (6.68 ± 1.68 mm), regardless of irrigation treatment, suggesting a competition effect from kentucky bluegrass. We conclude that frequent irrigation of balled-and-burlapped trees in turfgrass, particularly buffalograss, is more conducive to tree health during establishment than is maximizing the interval between turfgrass irrigation. Regardless of irrigation schedule, kentucky bluegrass appears to impact tree growth severely during establishment in an arid climate.

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DETECTING PEACH WATER STRESS THROUGH CHANGES IN FOLIAGE TEMPERATURE

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.25.9.1136a ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 25 (9) ◽

pp. 1136a-1136

Author(s):

Roger Kjelgren ◽

Bradley H. Taylor

Keyword(s):

Water Stress ◽

Water Potential ◽

Air Temperature ◽

Leaf Water Potential ◽

Inverse Relationship ◽

Vapor Pressure Deficit ◽

Stomatal Closure ◽

Leaf Water ◽

Temperature Differential ◽

Predawn Leaf Water Potential

The response of foliage-air temperature differential (Tl-Ta) to vapor-pressure deficit (VPD) as a means of detecting incipient water stress was investigated in the Illinois planting of the NC-140 Uniform Peach Rootstock Trial. Stomatal conductance, foliage temperature, leaf water potential, air temperature and VPD were followed diurnally on three dates in 1989 for mature `Redhaven' on six different rootstock. On two of three sampling dates where predawn leaf water potential was greater than -0.5 MPa there was no indication of midday stomatal closure and all rootstock exhibited an inverse relationship between T1-Ta and VPD. On the date with the most negative predawn leaf water potential, T1-Ta of two plum rootstock (GF-677 and GF-655-2) was observed to be significantly greater at VPD levels above 2 kPa than the remaining rootstock. All rootstock on this date exhibited greater T1-Ta than at similar VPD levels on the other two dates. These data suggest that transpirational cooling plays a large enough role in foliage temperature regulation of `Redhaven' peach such that incipient water stress and rootstock effects on water relations can be detected through increases in foliage temperature.

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INDICATORS OF WATER STRESS IN CORN (Zea mays L.)

Canadian Journal of Plant Science ◽

10.4141/cjps84-077 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 64 (3) ◽

pp. 537-546 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

L. M. DWYER ◽

D. W. STEWART

Keyword(s):

Zea Mays ◽

Water Stress ◽

Water Potential ◽

Leaf Water Potential ◽

Zea Mays L ◽

Stomatal Resistance ◽

Leaf Water ◽

Predawn Leaf Water Potential ◽

Diurnal Patterns ◽

Potential Transpiration

Greenhouse experiments were conducted to monitor the response of corn (Zea mays L.) to water stress conditions during and following tasselling, and to compare several indicators of water stress. Daily measurements of soil water content and of evaporative demand were made. The degree of plant water stress was indicated by estimates of minimum daily stomatal resistance, comparison of estimated actual and potential transpiration rates, diurnal patterns of leaf water potential and predawn leaf water potentials taken on lower leaves. Analysis of the series of measurements necessary to estimate minimum daily stomatal resistance, actual to potential transpiration rate ratios, and diurnal patterns of leaf water potential identified periods of relative water stress. The simpler and less time-consuming measurement of predawn leaf water potential compared favorably with these other indicators of water stress. We therefore suggest that predawn leaf water potential is an appropriate diagnostic measurement of water stress with promise for irrigation scheduling, particularly for crops in which irrigation is important for a short but critical period.Key words: Leaf water potential, stomatal resistance, transpiration, vapor pressure deficit, soil water deficit

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Leaf Water Potential, Stomatal Resistance, and Photosynthetic Response to Water Stress in Peach Seedlings

PLANT PHYSIOLOGY ◽

10.1104/pp.69.5.1051 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 69 (5) ◽

pp. 1051-1054 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

J. Mark Hand ◽

Eric Young ◽

Aurea C. Vasconcelos

Keyword(s):

Water Stress ◽

Water Potential ◽

Leaf Water Potential ◽

Stomatal Resistance ◽

Leaf Water ◽

Photosynthetic Response ◽

Response To Water

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Photosynthesis Response of Sunlit and Shade Pepper (Capsicum annuum) Leaves at Different Positions in the Canopy Under Two Water Regimes

Functional Plant Biology ◽

10.1071/pp9940377 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 377 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

A Alvino ◽

M Centritto ◽

FD Lorenzi

Keyword(s):

Water Potential ◽

Capsicum Annuum ◽

Leaf Water Potential ◽

Co2 Exchange ◽

Leaf Water ◽

Predawn Leaf Water Potential ◽

Water Regimes ◽

Water Potentials ◽

Sun And Shade ◽

Shade Leaves

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) plants were grown in 1 m2 lysimeters under two different water regimes in order to investigate differences in the spatial arrangements of the leaves and to relate this to daily assimilation rates of leaves of the canopy. The control regime (well-watered (W) treatment) was irrigated whenever the accumulated 'A' pan evaporation reached 4 cm, whereas the water-stressed (S) treatment was watered whenever the predawn leaf water potential fell below -1 MPa. During the growing cycle, equal numbers of sun and shade leaves were chosen from the apical, middle and basal parts of the canopy, corresponding to groups of leaves of increasing age. The CO2 exchange rate (CER) was measured at 0830, 1230 and 1530 hours on 8 days along the crop cycle, on leaves in their natural inclination and orientation. Leaf water potentials were measured on apical leaves before dawn and concurrently with gas exchange measurements. Control plants maintained predawn leaf water potential at -0.3 MPa, but S plants reached values lower than -1.2 MPa. Midday leaf water potentials were about twice as low in the S plants as in the controls. Water stress reduced LA1 during the period of crop growth, and dry matter production at harvest. Stressed apical leaves appeared to reduce stress by changing their inclination. They were paraheliotropic around midday and diaheliotropic at 0830 and 1530 hours. The CER values of the S treatment were significantly lower than those of the W treatment in apical and middle leaves, whereas the CER of basal leaves did not differ in either treatments. In the S treatment, reduction in the CER values of sunlit apical leaves was more evident in the afternoon than at midday or early in the morning, whereas basal leaves were less affected by water than basal stress leaves if sunlit, and negligibly in shaded conditions.

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Interactions between leaf water potential, stomatal conductance and abscisic acid content of orange trees submitted to drought stress

Brazilian Journal of Plant Physiology ◽

10.1590/s1677-04202004000300005 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. 155-161 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Mara de Menezes de Assis Gomes ◽

Ana Maria Magalhães Andrade Lagôa ◽

Camilo Lázaro Medina ◽

Eduardo Caruso Machado ◽

Marcos Antônio Machado

Keyword(s):

Abscisic Acid ◽

Water Stress ◽

Stomatal Conductance ◽

Water Potential ◽

Leaf Water Potential ◽

Acid Content ◽

Stomatal Closure ◽

Leaf Water ◽

Orange Trees ◽

Abscisic Acid Content

Thirty-month-old 'Pêra' orange trees grafted on 'Rangpur' lemon trees grown in 100 L pots were submitted to water stress by the suspension of irrigation. CO2 assimilation (A), transpiration (E) and stomatal conductance (g s) values declined from the seventh day of stress, although the leaf water potential at 6:00 a.m. (psipd) and at 2:00 p.m. (psi2) began to decline from the fifth day of water deficiency. The CO2 intercellular concentration (Ci) of water-stressed plants increased from the seventh day, reaching a maximum concentration on the day of most severe stress. The carboxylation efficiency, as revealed by the ratio A/Ci was low on this day and did not show the same values of non-stressed plants even after ten days of rewatering. After five days of rewatering only psi pd and psi2 were similar to control plants while A, E and g s were still different. When psi2 decreases, there was a trend for increasing abscisic acid (ABA) concentration in the leaves. Similarly, stomatal conductance was found to decrease as a function of decreasing psi2. ABA accumulation and stomatal closure occurred when psi2 was lower than -1.0 MPa. Water stress in 'Pera´ orange trees increased abscisic acid content with consequent stomatal closure and decreased psi2 values.

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Effects of water stress and soil type on photosynthesis, leaf water potential and yield of olive trees (Olea europaea L. cv. Chemlali Sfax)

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1071/ea05206 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 47 (12) ◽

pp. 1484 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

B. Ben Rouina ◽

A. Trigui ◽

R. d'Andria ◽

M. Boukhris ◽

M. Chaïeb

Keyword(s):

Water Stress ◽

Water Potential ◽

Leaf Water Potential ◽

Sandy Soil ◽

Clay Soil ◽

Sandy Loam ◽

Leaf Water ◽

Severe Drought ◽

Relative Water ◽

Olive Trees

In Tunisia, olives are grown under severe rain-fed, arid conditions. To determine the behaviour of olive trees (cv. Chemlali Sfax) during the severe drought affecting Tunisian arid areas in 2002, a range of physiological parameters were investigated in three adjacent orchards. Two olive orchards were rain-fed, one located on a sandy soil, and the other on a sandy-loam clay soil. A third orchard was also located on sandy soil, but received remedial irrigation (415 mm of water per year; ~40% of olive evapotranspiration). Predawn leaf water potential (Ψpd) did not fall below –1.52 MPa for irrigated olive trees. However, a large decrease in Ψpd was observed for rain-fed olive trees in the same period with Ψpd measured at about –3.2 MPa on sandy soil and –3.6 MPa on sandy-loam clay soil. At the same time, the minimal leaf water potential recorded at midday (Ψmin) decreased to –4.15 MPa and –4.71 MPa in the rain-fed trees for sandy and sandy-loam clay soil, respectively. For irrigated trees, the Ψmin was –1.95 MPa. These results were associated with relative water content, which varied from 80% for irrigated trees to 54 and 43.6%, respectively, for rain-fed trees and trees subjected to severe drought. In August, when the relative water content values were less than 50%, a progressive desiccation in the outer layer of canopy and death of terminal shoots were observed in trees, which grew on the sandy-loam clay soil. Furthermore, low soil water availability also affected (negatively) the net photosynthetic rate in rain-fed orchards (10.3 µmol/m2.s for irrigated trees v. 5.3 µmol/m2.s in rain-fed trees on sandy soil) and stomatal conductance (98.5 mmol/m2.s v. 69.3 mmol/m2.s). However, it improved water use efficiency (7.6 v. 4.7 µmol CO2/mmol H2O), which increased by more than 50% in both groups of rain-fed trees compared with the irrigated ones. We can conclude that olive trees respond to drought by showing significant changes in their physiological and biological mechanisms. These results also help our understanding of how olive trees cope with water stress in the field and how marginal soils can restrict growth and lower yields.

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