Category: Water management
Water stress tolerance is coordinated with water use capacity and growth under water deficit across six fruit tree species
To compare water stress tolerance traits between different fruit tree species under the same experimental conditions can provide valuable information for understanding the mechanisms underlying water stress tolerance in a broader sense. This work aimed to determine and compare the water stress tolerance of six fruit tree species typically cultivated in Mediterranean regions, i.e., pomegranate, fig, mandarin, avocado, and two Prunus species ('R40' and 'R20') and evaluate its association with water use
Risk assessment of pesticides used in the eastern Avocado Belt of Michoacan, Mexico: A survey and water monitoring approach
Pesticides use raises concerns regarding environmental sustainability, as pesticides are closely linked to the decline of biodiversity and adverse human health outcomes. This study proposed a holistic approach for assessing the potential risks posed by pesticides for human health and the environment in the eastern region of Michoacan, where extensive agricultural lands, especially corn and avocado fields, surround the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. We used a combination of qualitative (semi-structured
Functional leaf-trait variability and herbivory in oaks along a Mexican avocado agrosystem mosaic
Land-use changes transforming forested landscapes to avocado orchards affect abiotic conditions and ecological processes. As a consequence, such changes can also affect leaf functional traits expression of co-occurring trees in orchards and related plant–insect interactions. Here, we evaluated changes in chemical soil properties and the effects of micro-climatic variables on leaf functional traits and herbivory in Quercus castanea and Q. obtusata in fragments occurring in a mosaic with avocado orchards.
Identifying Optimal Zones for Avocado (Persea americana Mill) Cultivation in Iberian Peninsula: A Climate Suitability Analysis
In recent decades, the cultivation of avocados (Persea americana Mill) has expanded throughout the Iberian Peninsula, with most of the production occurring on the Southern Atlantic and Mediterranean Coast, as well as in the Canary Islands. This expansion is due to high demand and high prices, which have made the crop very attractive. However, climatic suitability criteria have not always been followed, putting sustainability at risk. Avocados originate from tropical and subtropical areas and have
Evaluation of leaf carbon isotopes and functional traits in avocado reveals water-use efficient cultivars
Plant water-use efficiency (WUE) describes the ratio of carbon gain to water loss during photosynthesis. It has been shown that WUE varies among crop genotypes, and crops with high WUE can increase agricultural production in the face of finite water supply. We used measures of leaf carbon isotopic composition to compare WUE among 24 cultivars of Persea americana Mill (avocado) to determine genotypic variability in WUE, identify potentially efficient cultivars, and to better understand how breeding
The impact of tree phenology on the response of irrigated avocado: The hysteretic nature of the maximum trunk daily shrinkage
The goal of this study was to check the feasibility of the use of dendrometers to monitor water stress levels in avocado trees (Persea americana Mill, cv. Hass) during the period of 2015–2017. This water stress was generated naturally during events of high vapor pressure deficit (VPD) that normally take place during the Israeli spring (May) and late autumn (September). It was also generated artificially by considering two irrigation regimes, one providing the crop water needs estimated using lysimeter