Project: Apple and Peach in Mediterranean orchards – Integrating tree water status and irrigation management for coping with water scarcity and aphid control
The profitability of deciduous fruit orchards in semi-arid zones, especially in southern and eastern Mediterranean countries, depends on irrigation water availability throughout the growing season. Studies of water stress effects on growth have been mostly conducted on annuals, focusing on crop management and the physiological and molecular mechanisms underpinning water use efficiency. Unlike annuals, whose life cycle only depends on current conditions without investment in perennial structures, fruit tree development in any year strongly depends on the environmental conditions in the preceding years. Still unanswered is the scientific question of how the fruit tree uses water to grow, flower, fruit and at the same time develop buds for the next season. Also, there is a crucial need for irrigation protocols to manage severe and/or temporal reductions in water availability, keeping in mind that water management techniques not only modify growing and fruiting patterns, but also pest dynamics. The drive towards sustainable agriculture by reduced inputs, especially of chemicals, strengthens the idea that pest infestation has to be considered within water management strategies. Our project aims to contribute to develop sustainable fruit production in a context of increasing ecological and climatic stresses.
| Acronym | APMed |
| Duration | 01/04/2012 - 31/03/2015 |
| Website | visit project website |
| Network | ARIMNet |
| Call | ARIMNet Call 2011 |
Project partner
| Number | Name | Role | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| French National Institute for Agricultural Research | c | France | |
| French National Institute for Agricultural Research | Partner | France | |
| Insitute For Food And Agriculture Research And Technology | Partner | Spain | |
| MIGAL Galilee Research Institute | Partner | Israel | |
| University of Bologna - Department of Agricultural Sciences - Tree and Forest Sciences | Partner | Italy | |
| University of Moulay Ismaïl - Faculty of Sciences - Protection des Plantes et Environnement | Partner | Morocco |