Biologia plantarum 51:292-296, 2007 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-007-0058-0

Water status indicators of lemon trees in response to flooding and recovery

M. F. Ortuño1,*, J. J. Alarcón1,2, E. Nicolás1, A. Torrecillas1,2
1 Dpto. Riego, Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CSIC), Espinardo, Murcia, Spain
2 Unidad Asociada al CSIC de Horticultura Sostenible en Zonas Áridas (UPCT-CEBAS), Cartagena, Murcia, Spain

Potted 2-year-old lemon trees [Citrus limon (L.) Burm. fil, cv. Verna] grafted on sour orange (C. aurantium L.) rootstock were subjected to flooding for 3 d. Control plants were irrigated daily to field capacity. Continuously (sap flow, trunk diameter fluctuations) and discretely (predawn and midday leaf water potential, leaf conductance) measured plant-based water status indicators were compared. The sensitivity of the maximum daily trunk shrinkage signal intensity to flooding and its behaviour during the recovery period demonstrated that this indicator is more feasible than the others for use in automatic irrigation. The responses to flooding of continuously and discretely measured plant-based water status indicators were very similar to those observed in response to drought stress indicating that it necessary to use soil water measurement automatic sensors to detect the cause of the stress. The results underlined the robustness of the compensation heat-pulse technique for estimating instantaneous and daily transpiration rates on flooding stress and recovery.

Keywords: Citrus limon, leaf conductance; leaf water potential; plant water relations; sap flow; trunk diameter fluctuations
Subjects: Citrus limon; flooding and recovery; leaf conductance; leaf water potential; lemon tree; photon flux density (PPFD, PFD); sap flow; trunk diameter; water relations, daily variations

Received: March 15, 2005; Accepted: February 25, 2006; Published: June 1, 2007Show citation

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Ortuño, M.F., Alarcón, J.J., Nicolás, E., & Torrecillas, A. (2007). Water status indicators of lemon trees in response to flooding and recovery. Biologia plantarum, 51(2), 292-296. doi: 10.1007/s10535-007-0058-0.
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