Article
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Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed
Ecophysiological Response of Olive Trees under Different Fruit Load
Version 1
: Received: 27 December 2023 / Approved: 27 December 2023 / Online: 27 December 2023 (11:09:47 CET)
A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.
Kokkotos, E.; Zotos, A.; Patakas, A. The Ecophysiological Response of Olive Trees under Different Fruit Loads. Life 2024, 14, 128. Kokkotos, E.; Zotos, A.; Patakas, A. The Ecophysiological Response of Olive Trees under Different Fruit Loads. Life 2024, 14, 128.
Abstract
Olive trees have a unique reproductive pattern marked by biennial fruiting. This study delves into the repercussions of alternate fruit bearing on the water relations of olive trees and the associated ecophysiological mechanisms. The experiment spanned two consecutive years: the "ON" year, characterized by a high crop load, and the "OFF" year, marked by minimal fruit production. Key ecophysiological parameters, including sap flow, stomatal conductance, and photosynthetic rate, were monitored in both years. Pre-dawn water potential was measured using continuous stem psychrometers and the pressure chamber technique. Biochemically, non-structural carbohydrate concentrations (starch, sucrose, and mannitol) and the carbon-stable isotope ratio (δ13C) in olive leaves were examined. Results unveiled heightened leaf gas exchange during the "ON" year, leading to increased water consumption and photosynthetic rates. This escalated water usage during the "ON" year significantly reduced leaf water potential. Sucrose and starch concentrations were notably elevated in the "ON" year, with no significant impact on mannitol concentration. Regarding the carbon stable isotope ratio, leaves from the "OFF" year exhibited significantly higher δ13C abundance, indicative of heightened resistance to the CO2 pathway from the atmosphere to carboxylation sites compared to the "ON" year plants.
Keywords
sink-source effect; alternate bearing; thermocouple psychrometry; non-structural carbohydrates; carbon stable isotope ratio
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Plant Sciences
Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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