Row Orientation and Canopy Position Affect Bud Differentiation, Leaf Area Index and Some Agronomical Traits of a Super High-Density Almond Orchard

Super-high density (SHD) is the latest innovation in almond growing. This new cropping system needs to be studied in different climates, soils, latitudes and cultivars in order to promote more efficient and sustainable orchard management. This study shows the effects of two row orientations and different canopy positions on leaf area index (LAI), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and biological, phenological and agronomical parameters of a SHD almond orchard. Total bud number and flower bud number were higher for N-S row orientation and more wood buds were detected in top layers. LAI was strongly influenced by layer, but not by row orientation. Row orientation did not affect blooming or ripening phenology. Fruit number per layer was higher for North–South (N-S) row orientation and in middle layers; fruit set showed the opposite trend to flower bud and fruit numbers, achieving higher values for East–West (E-W) row orientation. Hulled fruit yield was not affected by row orientation but by canopy height. N-S oriented rows showed a greater number of empty nuts than E-W, but no differences were found between layers. We concluded that in SHD almond orchards, row orientation is determinant for sustainable crop management

Recycled water causes no salinity or toxicity issues in Napa vineyards

In response to Napa Sanitation District's interest in expanding its delivery of recycled water to vineyards for irrigation, we conducted a feasibility study to assess the suitability of the water for this use. We adopted two approaches: comparing the water quality characteristics of the recycled water with those of other local sources of irrigation water, and evaluating soil samples from a vineyard that was irrigated for 8 years with the recycled water. Results indicate that the quality of the recycled water is suitable for irrigation, and also that long-term accumulation of salts and toxic ions have not occurred in the vineyards studied and are unlikely to occur. Nutrients in the recycled water may be beneficial to vineyards, though the levels of nitrogen may need to be reduced by planting cover crops in some vineyards

23 Concurs internacional de cant Francesc Viñas

Programa de mà de la 23ena edició del Concurs internacional de cant Frances Viñas i del concert final, que va tenir lloc entre el 9 i el 17 de novembre de l'any 1985. S'hi van interpretar fragments d'"Idomeneo, re di Creta" i "Don Giovanni", entre altres, de W. A. Mozart, "Un Ballo in maschera", "Rigoletto" i "La Traviata", entre altres, de G. Verdi, "Tannhäuser", entre altres, de R. Wagner, "Manon", entre altres, de J. Massenet i "I Capuleti e i Montecchi", entre altres, de V. Bellini. També s'hi van interpretar obres de C. Debussy, E. Granados, G. Donizetti, C. Gounod, G. Rossini, A. Vivaldi, G. Fauré, F. Schubert, H. Wolf, G. Puccini, F. Mendelssohn, J. Turina, S. Rakhmaninov, G. Bizet i O. Respighi, entre altres. Els pianistes acompanyants van ser J. Giró, E. Lanfredi, À. Soler i Csaba Vegvari, i hi va participar l'Orquestra del Gran Teatre del Liceu dirigida per G. Pérez BusquierOrquestra Simfònica del Gran Teatre del Liceu dirigida per Gerardo Pérez Busquie

Ecophysiological response to irrigation of two olive cultivars grown in a high-density orchard

High-density oliveculture system needs irrigation and introduces new cultivars in new environ-ments. So the evaluation of varietal ecophysiological response to irrigation is a crucial topic. For this reason it was planned a research on two cultivars, Coratina and Arbequina, trained according to high-density system. In 2009 the irrigation was conducted according to the conventional man-agement by applying an irrigation frequency of 4 days. The leaf water potentials reached values similar to the limits reported for the recovery within 48 hours. However, plants showed a leaf wa-ter status and gas exchange recovery just after 24 hours from watering. The results highlighted some varietal differences: Arbequina showed a better response to irrigation, while Coratina per-formed an higher water use efficiency by a lower leaf transpiration

Ecophysiological response to irrigation of two olive cultivars grown in a high-density orchard

High-density oliveculture system needs irrigation and introduces new cultivars in new environ-ments. So the evaluation of varietal ecophysiological response to irrigation is a crucial topic. For this reason it was planned a research on two cultivars, Coratina and Arbequina, trained according to high-density system. In 2009 the irrigation was conducted according to the conventional man-agement by applying an irrigation frequency of 4 days. The leaf water potentials reached values similar to the limits reported for the recovery within 48 hours. However, plants showed a leaf wa-ter status and gas exchange recovery just after 24 hours from watering. The results highlighted some varietal differences: Arbequina showed a better response to irrigation, while Coratina per-formed an higher water use efficiency by a lower leaf transpiration

Different Weed Managements Influence the Seasonal Floristic Composition in a Super High-Density Olive Orchard

Weed management is not yet environmentally, agronomically, economically and socially sustainable in olive orchards. It is necessary to study appropriate integrated weed management systems (IWMSs) based on the knowledge of weed population and effects of weeding practices over time. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different weed managements on seasonal floristic composition of a super high-density olive orchard, also exploiting the essential principles of an IWMS. Five weeding techniques were compared: chemical control (CHI), mowing (MEC), plastic (nonwoven tissue, TNT and polyethylene, PEN) and organic (with de-oiled olive pomace, DOP) mulching. Weed monitoring was carried out on six dates in a three-year period. The infestation of each of the main 18 weed species recorded (%) and the total infestation (%) on each monitoring date were determined. Results underlined that all weeding practices investigated in this multi-year study affected the floristic composition, weed characteristics (hemicryptophytes, cryptophytes and therophytes) and seed bank. TNT and PEN were the most effective methods for weed management. Particularly, total infestation coefficient was significantly lowest when plots were managed with TNT (13.91%) and PEN (14.38%) and highest for MEC (141.29%). However, DOP also significantly reduced infestation compared to CHI and MEC. Therefore, DOP could constitute an excellent strategy for weed management in super high-density olive groves, since it also has the possibility of distributing mulching materials in a mechanized way in field and can result in improvement of soil fertility and the possibility of valorizing waste. Further studies should be carried out to investigate the mechanism of action (physical and allelochemical) of de-oiled pomace or other organic agro-industrial materials and the recovery time of these mulching materials in super high-density olive orchards

Attempts to Reduce the Systemic Spread of <i>Xylella fastidiosa</i> in Olive Trees by Pruning

Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca (Xfp) is the plant pathogenic bacterium causing the epidemic of olive quick decline syndrome decimating olive trees in the Apulia region (southern Italy). The lack of any effective therapeutic application for the control of this pathogen and its categorization as a regulated quarantine pathogen in many countries worldwide, impose mandatory eradication and containment measures. Based on current EU legislation, containment measures apply in those areas where the bacterium is widely established, such as in the Apulia region, and thus containment strategies to mitigate and cope with the infections are needed. We set up a field trial to assess if pruning interventions could limit and/or recover Xfp-infected trees by reducing the systemic spread of the bacterium and the severity of the desiccation phenomena typically compromising the crown of the highly susceptible cultivars, e.g., cv. Cellina di Nardò. Trees subjected either to major or light pruning interventions, including the removal of all the symptomatic branches, did not demonstrate a reduced bacterial colonization or development of symptoms. After two years of targeted pruning interventions, no significant amelioration of the sanitary status of the infected olive trees was recorded, suggesting that the sole application of these interventions is not effective to counteract the impact of the bacterium in the susceptible olive trees