Article
Plant Sciences
Chaim Engelen, Tahel Wechsler, Ortal Bakhshian, Ilan Smoly, Idan Flaks, Tamar Friedlander, Giora Ben-Ari, Alon Samach
Summary: With global warming, it is crucial to understand how warmer winters will affect olive flower induction for predicting future olive oil production sustainability. This study investigated the impact of fruit load, winter drought, and different temperature regimes on olive flower induction. The findings highlighted the importance of studying trees without previous fruit load and showed that soil water content during winter does not significantly affect flower induction. Additionally, the study proposed an efficient method to calculate accumulated chill units correlated with flower induction.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Eddy Plasquy, Maria C. Florido, Rafael Ruben Sola-Guirado, Jose Maria Garcia Martos, Juan Francisco Garcia Martin
Summary: This study examined how the oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production of olive fruit in a closed container varied at different temperatures, finding that olives may transition to anaerobic respiration quickly in high temperature environments.
FERMENTATION-BASEL
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Meagan van Dyk, Christoffel F. J. Spies, Lizel Mostert, Marieta van der Rijst, Ihan L. du Plessis, Providence Moyo, Wynand J. van Jaarsveld, Francois Halleen
Summary: A recent survey in South Africa identified several fungi associated with olive trunk disease symptoms, some of which had not been reported before. Pathogenicity tests were conducted to determine the virulence of these species, with some showing significant lesions on olive branches. Pseudophaeomoniella globosa was identified as one of the main olive trunk pathogens due to its high incidence and virulence in trials.
Article
Soil Science
Mengguang Han, Jiguang Feng, Ying Chen, Lijuan Sun, Liangchen Fu, Biao Zhu
Summary: The study showed that R-Myc is a significant component of soil respiration, contributing to both soil respiration and autotrophic respiration. It exhibits a different geographical pattern from R-Root and should be considered separately in terrestrial carbon cycling models.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Horticulture
Jinhua Li, Xinyue Ji, Zhaoshan Wang, Yanfei Zeng, Jianguo Zhang
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the morphological and molecular characteristics of two inter-subspecific F-1 hybrids obtained by crossing olive cultivars with pollen donors from olive subspecies. The study identified significant differences in morphological traits between genotypes and confirmed the inter-specific hybrid nature of the two hybrids through molecular analysis.
Review
Plant Sciences
Rogerio Melloni, Elke J. B. N. Cardoso
Summary: International research has focused on studying the effects of different management practices in olive cultivation on soil. Both conventional techniques, such as using herbicides and machines to control weeds, inorganic fertilizers, and pesticides, and sustainable techniques, including pruning, the use of disease and climate-tolerant cultivars, organic conditioners, maintaining vegetation cover and using inoculants, have been examined. The impacts on soil quality, crop development, and production are evaluated by studying the presence, activity, and behavior of microorganisms in the soil or directly in the crop.
Article
Plant Sciences
Antonino Malacrino, Saveria Mosca, Maria Giulia Li Destri Nicosia, Giovanni E. Agosteo, Leonardo Schena
Summary: The plant microbiome plays a crucial role in plant biology, ecology, and evolution. The study reveals that plant genotype has varying impacts on the diversity, structure, and composition of bacterial microbiomes in fruits, leaves, and soil, with a stronger effect observed in fruits. This suggests that plant genotype is an important factor in shaping the structure of plant microbiomes, providing potential insights for enhancing plant productivity, nutrition, and defenses.
Article
Ecology
Hubert Jochheim, Stephan Wirth, Valentin Gartiser, Sinikka Paulus, Christoph Haas, Horst H. Gerke, Martin Maier
Summary: The study shows that the conversion of coniferous forests to deciduous forests affects CO2 efflux, with water availability being the primary factor, and seasonal changes mainly influenced by soil temperature. Additionally, CO2 efflux decreased more dramatically at the beech site compared to the pine site.
FRONTIERS IN FORESTS AND GLOBAL CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nikolaos Tzortzakis, Antonios Chrysargyris
Summary: The cultivation of olive trees and grapevines in the Mediterranean area has expanded, but the processes that follow harvesting have negative effects on the environment and human health. This study explored the potential use of olive-mill and grape-mill residues in soil, finding that they can provide minerals and organic matter to the mixtures. However, further research is needed to develop the appropriate fertilization scheme.
SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY AND PHARMACY
(2024)
Article
Plant Sciences
Meagan Van Dyk, Christoffel F. J. Spies, Lizel Mostert, Francois Halleen
Summary: This study reveals that pruning debris serves as an inoculum source of P. globosa in established olive orchards in South Africa. It emphasizes the importance of reducing the inoculum sources of this pathogen as an additional management strategy against olive trunk diseases.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Alexandre Lorini, Bianca Camargo Aranha, Bruna da Fonseca Antunes, Deborah Murowaniecki Otero, Andressa Carolina Jacques, Rui Carlos Zambiazi
Summary: The study evaluated the metabolic profile of olive leaves from different cultivars collected in different seasons, revealing that the cultivar Manzanilla had the highest levels of phenolic compounds and leaves collected in summer contained more relevant compounds. It was concluded that cultivar and collection season significantly affect the bioactive content and antioxidant potential of olive leaves.
Article
Forestry
Andrea Miserere, M. Cecilia Rousseaux, Edmundo L. Ploschuk, M. Magdalena Brizuela, Matias H. Curcio, Romina Zabaleta, Peter S. Searles
Summary: This study assessed leaf gas exchange responses in young olive trees to prolonged elevated temperature, as well as additional leaf traits such as stomatal density and size, and whether photosynthetic acclimation to temperature was apparent. Results showed that while parameters like Amax, gs, and chlorophyll fluorescence were little affected by heating, leaf transpiration was higher in heated leaves, leading to reduced water-use efficiency. Thermal acclimation was suggested by higher Amax values in leaves grown under the same temperature level they were measured at.
Article
Biology
Eleni Pitsillou, Julia J. Liang, Raymond C. Beh, Jacqueline Prestedge, Seda Catak, Andrew Hung, Tom C. Karagiannis
Summary: This study utilized conventional software to analyze the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity of olive compounds, and evaluated the ion channel inhibitory activities of selected compounds through molecular docking and experimental assays. The findings identified potential candidates for synthesis and further evaluation.
COMPUTERS IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Nikoleta-Kleio Denaxa, Stavros N. Vemmos, Peter A. Roussos
Summary: The study found that girdling treatment on olive mother plants has a positive effect on the rooting ability of cuttings, with autumn girdling showing better results compared to spring. Girdling enhances the rooting performance of cuttings and positively affects the concentration of polyamines, phenolic compounds, and soluble carbohydrates. More research is needed to draw conclusions on the overall efficiency of girdling on inducing rooting of olive cuttings.
Article
Agronomy
Franco Famiani, Nicola Cinosi, Andrea Paoletti, Daniela Farinelli, Adolfo Rosati, Enrico Maria Lodolini
Summary: The study conducted experiments on both intensive and super-high-density young olive trees and found that using 160 ppm of NAA treatment at full bloom can practically eliminate fruit set and production, while greatly increasing vegetative growth. The treatment also showed a progressive increase in trunk growth over two consecutive years, accelerating the growth of young olive trees.
Article
Agronomy
Omar Garcia-Tejera, Alvaro Lopez-Bernal, Francisco Orgaz, Luca Testi, Francisco J. Villalobos
Summary: The water potential is widely used to indicate plant water status for irrigation management. It is directly related to basic plant physiological processes, but variations are also influenced by the interaction between the plant and its environment. The analysis highlights the importance of considering factors such as evaporative demand, plant hydraulic architecture, and soil texture in determining the final observed water potential.
AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Alvaro Lopez-Bernal, Anabela A. Fernandes-Silva, Victorino A. Vega, Juan C. Hidalgo, Lorenzo Leon, Luca Testi, Francisco J. Villalobos
Summary: Harvest timing in olive orchards significantly affects oil yield, and a simple model involving physiological parameters such as fruit dry weight and oil accumulation rate can help farmers improve decision-making. The model is cost-effective and easy to implement, with the potential to be used for monitoring oil accumulation dynamics in orchards.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
David Moldero, Alvaro Lopez-Bernal, Luca Testi, Ignacio Jesus Lorite, Elias Fereres, Francisco Orgaz
Summary: This study evaluates the long-term sustainability of different deficit irrigation (DI) strategies on a mature almond orchard in southern Spain over a period of 6 years. The results highlight the importance of soil water storage and crop evapotranspiration (ETC) in determining productivity, showing that moderate DI treatments did not significantly affect yield performance. Additionally, water deficits caused yield losses depending on the irrigation level, but there were no exhaustion or adaptation phenomena observed that could jeopardize the longer-term sustainability of DI strategies.
IRRIGATION SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
David Moldero, Alvaro Lopez-Bernal, Luca Testi, Ignacio Jesus Lorite, Elias Fereres, Francisco Orgaz
Summary: The study evaluated the impact of water deprivation on almond orchards in Spain, revealing the vulnerability of irrigated almond trees to severe water stress. Even when restored to full irrigation levels, the negative impact on yields persisted.
IRRIGATION SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Andrea C. Westerband, Ian J. Wright, Allyson S. D. Eller, Lucas A. Cernusak, Peter B. Reich, Oscar Perez-Priego, Shubham S. Chhajed, Lindsay B. Hutley, Caroline E. R. Lehmann
Summary: This study reveals the relationships between wood respiration and physical properties as well as nitrogen concentration in bark and sapwood. The findings suggest that tissue density and thickness have more influence on respiration than nitrogen concentration. Australian species show lower respiration rates and nitrogen concentration compared to global species, and the respiration-nitrogen relationships are less steep.
Article
Agronomy
Luca Testi, Francisco Orgaz, Alvaro Lopez-Bernal, Francisco J. Villalobos
Summary: This study investigates water use and carbon exchange in a drip-irrigated peach orchard in southern Spain, and provides insight into peach irrigation efficiency and the contribution of orchards to agricultural carbon budgets.
IRRIGATION SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Carlos Salamanca-Fresno, Maria-Auxiliadora Soriano, Luca Testi, Helena Gomez-Macpherson
Summary: The study demonstrates that conservation tillage with zero tillage and controlled traffic in irrigated Mediterranean maize cultivation can effectively reduce CO2 emissions, and can be paired with regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) for water saving.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Maria Rosario Moya, Ana Lopez-Ballesteros, Enrique P. Sanchez-Canete, Penelope Serrano-Ortiz, Cecilio Oyonarte, Francisco Domingo, Andrew S. Kowalski
Summary: This study provides clear empirical evidence of globally occurring subterranean ventilation events, shedding light on the overlooked role they play in the global carbon cycle, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. Understanding and further studying these events are crucial for validating remote sensing products, constraining models, and estimating the impact of biological CO2 exchanges on the global ecosystem carbon balance.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Carlos Ballester, Eduardo Badal, Luis Bonet, Luca Testi, Diego S. Intrigliolo
Summary: This study investigated the transpiration coefficients and the influence of environmental factors on persimmon trees under Mediterranean climatic conditions. The results showed that persimmon trees exhibit low stomatal regulation in response to air dryness. The information obtained can be used to develop specific water use models for persimmon trees and optimize irrigation scheduling decisions.
AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Hanene Mairech, Alvaro Lopez-Bernal, Luca Testi, Francisco J. Villalobos
Summary: ClimaSG is a stochastic weather generator that can accurately capture monthly rainfall variability and accurately predict mean and extreme values of ET0. However, it has some limitations in generating extreme temperatures. It has potential applications in calculating crop water requirements and irrigation design.
AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Alvaro Lopez-Bernal, Omar Garcia-Tejera, Luca Testi, Francisco J. Villalobos
Summary: This study presents an improved version of the OliveCan model, which can simulate the impacts of cover crops on the water and carbon balances of olive orchards. The effects of different cover crop widths and mowing dates on olive yield and soil water content were evaluated using simulations of a traditional olive orchard in southern Spain. The results showed that high cover crop width and late mowing could decrease olive yield, but their effects on soil water content and surface runoff were independent of the mowing date.
JOURNAL OF FORESTRY RESEARCH
(2023)
Biographical-Item
Agricultural Engineering
Oscar Castro-Orgaz, Gilles Belaud, Francisco N. Cantero-Chinchilla, Juan Giraldez, Francisco J. Villalobos
JOURNAL OF IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ulisse Gomarasca, Mirco Migliavacca, Jens Kattge, Jacob A. Nelson, Uelo Niinemets, Christian Wirth, Alessandro Cescatti, Michael Bahn, Richard Nair, Alicia T. R. Acosta, M. Altaf Arain, Mirela Beloiu, T. Andrew Black, Hans Henrik Bruun, Solveig Franziska Bucher, Nina Buchmann, Chaeho Byun, Arnaud Carrara, Adriano Conte, Ana C. da Silva, Gregory Duveiller, Silvano Fares, Andreas Ibrom, Alexander Knohl, Benjamin Komac, Jean-Marc Limousin, Christopher H. Lusk, Miguel D. Mahecha, David Martini, Vanessa Minden, Leonardo Montagnani, Akira S. Mori, Yusuke Onoda, Josep Penuelas, Oscar Perez-Priego, Peter Poschlod, Thomas L. Powell, Peter B. Reich, Ladislav Sigut, Peter M. van Bodegom, Sophia Walther, Georg Wohlfahrt, Ian J. Wright, Markus Reichstein
Summary: Trait correlation patterns predicted by leaf- and plant-level coordination theories are observed between community mean traits and ecosystem processes, suggesting a propagation of trade-offs to the ecosystem level. This finding emphasizes the importance of evaluating the coordination of ecosystem functional properties for developing more realistic global dynamic vegetation models with empirical data.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Proceedings Paper
Agricultural Engineering
V. Gonzalez-Dugo, D. Moldero, M. Espadafor, F. Orgaz, L. Testi, P. J. Zarco-Tejada, I. J. Lorite, E. Fereres
Summary: The cultivated area with irrigated almond is increasing due to high prices in recent years. However, this expansion has led to increased irrigation demand, making it essential to optimize almond water productivity through precision irrigation.
IX INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON IRRIGATION OF HORTICULTURAL CROPS
(2022)