Rapid stomatal response in lemon saves trees and their fruit yields under summer desiccation, but fails under recurring droughts

Yael Wagner; Ella Pozner; Peleg Bar-On; Uria Ramon; Eran Raveh; Efrat Neuhaus; Shabtai Cohen; José Grünzweig; Tamir Klein

doi:10.1016/j.agrformet.2021.108487

Rapid stomatal response in lemon saves trees and their fruit yields under summer desiccation, but fails under recurring droughts

Yael Wagner, Ella Pozner, Peleg Bar-On, Uria Ramon, Eran Raveh, Efrat Neuhaus, Shabtai Cohen, José Grünzweig, Tamir Klein^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Lemon (Citrus limon) is a fruit tree with major agricultural importance around the Mediterranean basin and is considered to be highly drought resistant. In this study, we tested the effect of two months summer-desiccation on physiological and yield parameters of mature lemon trees growing under Mediterranean climate during three consecutive years. We also examined the efficiency of current irrigation regime, which is based on reference evapo-transpiration. We measured leaf gas exchange and water potential (Ѱ_l), monitored sap flow and soil moisture and followed flowering, fruit set and fruit size. Lemon trees showed an isohydric stomatal regulation, as stomata maintained leaf water potential >-2 MPa. Summer desiccation caused a gradual decrease in diurnal tree water use, starting immediately after cessation of irrigation, with leaf gas exchange practically halted at the end of the drought period. Tree function recovered following re-irrigation, and fruit yields were not reduced, but even mildly increased during the first year. In contrast, summer desiccation during two consecutive years caused long-term effects of tree activity decrease, significantly lower yield, main branch collapse and even tree mortality. Irrigation amounts matched closely tree water-use amounts; soil moisture was maintained around 26% (v/v); and irrigation responded dynamically to meteorological changes, indicating that current irrigation regime represents highly efficient water management. The lemon desiccation protocol relied on the physiological capacity of this species to avoid short-term drought effects through stomatal closure. Still, this protocol must be managed carefully, to reduce risk to trees and save yields.

Original language	American English
Article number	108487
Journal	Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
Volume	307
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2021.108487
State	Published - 15 Sep 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We thank the gardening department of the Weizmann Institute of Science, headed by Boaz Cohen, for their cooperation throughout the project, and for providing the irrigation data. We also thank Dr. Nimrod Schwartz for the data on soil properties from the experimental farm of the Faculty of Agriculture of the Hebrew University. The project was funded by the Israel MOAG grant 1321 “water transport and water-use in lemon trees under optimal and deficit irrigation”. TK wishes to thank Edith and Nathan Goldenberg Career Development Chair; Mary and Tom Beck-Canadian Center for Alternative Energy Research; Larson Charitable Foundation New Scientist Fund; Yotam Project; Dana and Yossie Hollander; Estate of Emile Mimran; and the Estate of Helen Nichunsky. YW managed the project under the supervision of TK and JG. Measurements of tree physiology and fruit diameter were performed and analyzed by YW, EP, PBO, and UR. Flowering and fruit set measurements were coordinated by ER and EN. Irrigation analysis was performed by SC. TK and YW wrote the paper, with contributions from all authors.

Funding Information:
We thank the gardening department of the Weizmann Institute of Science, headed by Boaz Cohen, for their cooperation throughout the project, and for providing the irrigation data. We also thank Dr. Nimrod Schwartz for the data on soil properties from the experimental farm of the Faculty of Agriculture of the Hebrew University. The project was funded by the Israel MOAG grant 1321 “water transport and water-use in lemon trees under optimal and deficit irrigation”. TK wishes to thank Edith and Nathan Goldenberg Career Development Chair; Mary and Tom Beck-Canadian Center for Alternative Energy Research; Larson Charitable Foundation New Scientist Fund; Yotam Project; Dana and Yossie Hollander; Estate of Emile Mimran; and the Estate of Helen Nichunsky.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021

Keywords

Fruit diameter
Irrigation efficiency
Sap flow
Stomatal conductance
Summer desiccation
Verdelli practice

Access to Document

10.1016/j.agrformet.2021.108487

Cite this

@article{7d50418669ba478194012617f2de9924,

title = "Rapid stomatal response in lemon saves trees and their fruit yields under summer desiccation, but fails under recurring droughts",

abstract = "Lemon (Citrus limon) is a fruit tree with major agricultural importance around the Mediterranean basin and is considered to be highly drought resistant. In this study, we tested the effect of two months summer-desiccation on physiological and yield parameters of mature lemon trees growing under Mediterranean climate during three consecutive years. We also examined the efficiency of current irrigation regime, which is based on reference evapo-transpiration. We measured leaf gas exchange and water potential (Ѱl), monitored sap flow and soil moisture and followed flowering, fruit set and fruit size. Lemon trees showed an isohydric stomatal regulation, as stomata maintained leaf water potential >-2 MPa. Summer desiccation caused a gradual decrease in diurnal tree water use, starting immediately after cessation of irrigation, with leaf gas exchange practically halted at the end of the drought period. Tree function recovered following re-irrigation, and fruit yields were not reduced, but even mildly increased during the first year. In contrast, summer desiccation during two consecutive years caused long-term effects of tree activity decrease, significantly lower yield, main branch collapse and even tree mortality. Irrigation amounts matched closely tree water-use amounts; soil moisture was maintained around 26% (v/v); and irrigation responded dynamically to meteorological changes, indicating that current irrigation regime represents highly efficient water management. The lemon desiccation protocol relied on the physiological capacity of this species to avoid short-term drought effects through stomatal closure. Still, this protocol must be managed carefully, to reduce risk to trees and save yields.",

keywords = "Fruit diameter, Irrigation efficiency, Sap flow, Stomatal conductance, Summer desiccation, Verdelli practice",

author = "Yael Wagner and Ella Pozner and Peleg Bar-On and Uria Ramon and Eran Raveh and Efrat Neuhaus and Shabtai Cohen and Jos{\'e} Gr{\"u}nzweig and Tamir Klein",

note = "Funding Information: We thank the gardening department of the Weizmann Institute of Science, headed by Boaz Cohen, for their cooperation throughout the project, and for providing the irrigation data. We also thank Dr. Nimrod Schwartz for the data on soil properties from the experimental farm of the Faculty of Agriculture of the Hebrew University. The project was funded by the Israel MOAG grant 1321 “water transport and water-use in lemon trees under optimal and deficit irrigation”. TK wishes to thank Edith and Nathan Goldenberg Career Development Chair; Mary and Tom Beck-Canadian Center for Alternative Energy Research; Larson Charitable Foundation New Scientist Fund; Yotam Project; Dana and Yossie Hollander; Estate of Emile Mimran; and the Estate of Helen Nichunsky. YW managed the project under the supervision of TK and JG. Measurements of tree physiology and fruit diameter were performed and analyzed by YW, EP, PBO, and UR. Flowering and fruit set measurements were coordinated by ER and EN. Irrigation analysis was performed by SC. TK and YW wrote the paper, with contributions from all authors. Funding Information: We thank the gardening department of the Weizmann Institute of Science, headed by Boaz Cohen, for their cooperation throughout the project, and for providing the irrigation data. We also thank Dr. Nimrod Schwartz for the data on soil properties from the experimental farm of the Faculty of Agriculture of the Hebrew University. The project was funded by the Israel MOAG grant 1321 “water transport and water-use in lemon trees under optimal and deficit irrigation”. TK wishes to thank Edith and Nathan Goldenberg Career Development Chair; Mary and Tom Beck-Canadian Center for Alternative Energy Research; Larson Charitable Foundation New Scientist Fund; Yotam Project; Dana and Yossie Hollander; Estate of Emile Mimran; and the Estate of Helen Nichunsky. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021",

year = "2021",

month = sep,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1016/j.agrformet.2021.108487",

language = "American English",

volume = "307",

journal = "Agricultural and Forest Meteorology",

issn = "0168-1923",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Rapid stomatal response in lemon saves trees and their fruit yields under summer desiccation, but fails under recurring droughts

AU - Wagner, Yael

AU - Pozner, Ella

AU - Bar-On, Peleg

AU - Ramon, Uria

AU - Raveh, Eran

AU - Neuhaus, Efrat

AU - Cohen, Shabtai

AU - Grünzweig, José

AU - Klein, Tamir

N1 - Funding Information: We thank the gardening department of the Weizmann Institute of Science, headed by Boaz Cohen, for their cooperation throughout the project, and for providing the irrigation data. We also thank Dr. Nimrod Schwartz for the data on soil properties from the experimental farm of the Faculty of Agriculture of the Hebrew University. The project was funded by the Israel MOAG grant 1321 “water transport and water-use in lemon trees under optimal and deficit irrigation”. TK wishes to thank Edith and Nathan Goldenberg Career Development Chair; Mary and Tom Beck-Canadian Center for Alternative Energy Research; Larson Charitable Foundation New Scientist Fund; Yotam Project; Dana and Yossie Hollander; Estate of Emile Mimran; and the Estate of Helen Nichunsky. YW managed the project under the supervision of TK and JG. Measurements of tree physiology and fruit diameter were performed and analyzed by YW, EP, PBO, and UR. Flowering and fruit set measurements were coordinated by ER and EN. Irrigation analysis was performed by SC. TK and YW wrote the paper, with contributions from all authors. Funding Information: We thank the gardening department of the Weizmann Institute of Science, headed by Boaz Cohen, for their cooperation throughout the project, and for providing the irrigation data. We also thank Dr. Nimrod Schwartz for the data on soil properties from the experimental farm of the Faculty of Agriculture of the Hebrew University. The project was funded by the Israel MOAG grant 1321 “water transport and water-use in lemon trees under optimal and deficit irrigation”. TK wishes to thank Edith and Nathan Goldenberg Career Development Chair; Mary and Tom Beck-Canadian Center for Alternative Energy Research; Larson Charitable Foundation New Scientist Fund; Yotam Project; Dana and Yossie Hollander; Estate of Emile Mimran; and the Estate of Helen Nichunsky. Publisher Copyright: © 2021

PY - 2021/9/15

Y1 - 2021/9/15

N2 - Lemon (Citrus limon) is a fruit tree with major agricultural importance around the Mediterranean basin and is considered to be highly drought resistant. In this study, we tested the effect of two months summer-desiccation on physiological and yield parameters of mature lemon trees growing under Mediterranean climate during three consecutive years. We also examined the efficiency of current irrigation regime, which is based on reference evapo-transpiration. We measured leaf gas exchange and water potential (Ѱl), monitored sap flow and soil moisture and followed flowering, fruit set and fruit size. Lemon trees showed an isohydric stomatal regulation, as stomata maintained leaf water potential >-2 MPa. Summer desiccation caused a gradual decrease in diurnal tree water use, starting immediately after cessation of irrigation, with leaf gas exchange practically halted at the end of the drought period. Tree function recovered following re-irrigation, and fruit yields were not reduced, but even mildly increased during the first year. In contrast, summer desiccation during two consecutive years caused long-term effects of tree activity decrease, significantly lower yield, main branch collapse and even tree mortality. Irrigation amounts matched closely tree water-use amounts; soil moisture was maintained around 26% (v/v); and irrigation responded dynamically to meteorological changes, indicating that current irrigation regime represents highly efficient water management. The lemon desiccation protocol relied on the physiological capacity of this species to avoid short-term drought effects through stomatal closure. Still, this protocol must be managed carefully, to reduce risk to trees and save yields.

AB - Lemon (Citrus limon) is a fruit tree with major agricultural importance around the Mediterranean basin and is considered to be highly drought resistant. In this study, we tested the effect of two months summer-desiccation on physiological and yield parameters of mature lemon trees growing under Mediterranean climate during three consecutive years. We also examined the efficiency of current irrigation regime, which is based on reference evapo-transpiration. We measured leaf gas exchange and water potential (Ѱl), monitored sap flow and soil moisture and followed flowering, fruit set and fruit size. Lemon trees showed an isohydric stomatal regulation, as stomata maintained leaf water potential >-2 MPa. Summer desiccation caused a gradual decrease in diurnal tree water use, starting immediately after cessation of irrigation, with leaf gas exchange practically halted at the end of the drought period. Tree function recovered following re-irrigation, and fruit yields were not reduced, but even mildly increased during the first year. In contrast, summer desiccation during two consecutive years caused long-term effects of tree activity decrease, significantly lower yield, main branch collapse and even tree mortality. Irrigation amounts matched closely tree water-use amounts; soil moisture was maintained around 26% (v/v); and irrigation responded dynamically to meteorological changes, indicating that current irrigation regime represents highly efficient water management. The lemon desiccation protocol relied on the physiological capacity of this species to avoid short-term drought effects through stomatal closure. Still, this protocol must be managed carefully, to reduce risk to trees and save yields.

KW - Fruit diameter

KW - Irrigation efficiency

KW - Sap flow

KW - Stomatal conductance

KW - Summer desiccation

KW - Verdelli practice

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85107662860&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.agrformet.2021.108487

DO - 10.1016/j.agrformet.2021.108487

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85107662860

SN - 0168-1923

VL - 307

JO - Agricultural and Forest Meteorology

JF - Agricultural and Forest Meteorology

M1 - 108487

ER -

Rapid stomatal response in lemon saves trees and their fruit yields under summer desiccation, but fails under recurring droughts

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this