Articles
Evaluation of water saving practices for myrtle pot plant production
Article number
1104_6
Pages
35 – 40
Language
English
Abstract
In nursery activities the highest environmental impact is due to the high water use for plants irrigation.
A significant water saving can be obtained by irrigation strategy avoiding plant drought stress and maintaining high quality production.
Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.), is an evergreen shrub typical of the Mediterranean area, commonly cultivated as ornamental plant in urban greening projects.
Studies on different water regimes allow the evaluation of plant performances to varying water availability.
In this experiment plant responses to different water supplies (100 and 66% of the daily evapotranspiration), unsplit or split two times per day, were evaluated on myrtle pot plants in greenhouse conditions.
No significant differences occurred among the treatments after recovery period in terms of aboveground biomass production.
However, differences among treatments occurred in photosynthetic and transpiration rates.
The different physiological responses did not affect the plant ornamental value in myrtle evidencing as the species has a good adaptability to different water availability.
Therefore, the reduction of the irrigation volume (66% of the daily evapotranspiration) independently to the number of daily irrigations could represent a good strategy to reduce water use in myrtle nursery production.
A significant water saving can be obtained by irrigation strategy avoiding plant drought stress and maintaining high quality production.
Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.), is an evergreen shrub typical of the Mediterranean area, commonly cultivated as ornamental plant in urban greening projects.
Studies on different water regimes allow the evaluation of plant performances to varying water availability.
In this experiment plant responses to different water supplies (100 and 66% of the daily evapotranspiration), unsplit or split two times per day, were evaluated on myrtle pot plants in greenhouse conditions.
No significant differences occurred among the treatments after recovery period in terms of aboveground biomass production.
However, differences among treatments occurred in photosynthetic and transpiration rates.
The different physiological responses did not affect the plant ornamental value in myrtle evidencing as the species has a good adaptability to different water availability.
Therefore, the reduction of the irrigation volume (66% of the daily evapotranspiration) independently to the number of daily irrigations could represent a good strategy to reduce water use in myrtle nursery production.
Authors
M. Militello, G. Talluto, G. Gugliuzza
Keywords
ornamental plants, nursery production, irrigation management, Myrtus communis
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