Articles
Experimental warming during autumn and winter decreased freezing resistance in young olive trees (‘Arbequina’ and ‘Picual’)
Article number
1446_31
Pages
229 – 234
Language
English
Abstract
Global climate change is likely to increase mean average temperature, reduce precipitation, and alter the timing, frequency, and intensity of frost events.
Warmer temperatures during the autumn and winter will potentially increase growing season length, and could expose less adapted plants to low and freezing temperatures, increasing the risk of frost damage.
The objective of this study was to determine leaf frost resistance of olive (Olea europaea) exposed to experimental warming.
A field experiment with two temperature levels was conducted using well-irrigated, potted olive trees (‘Arbequina’ and ‘Picual’) grown in open-top chambers (OTC) for two periods of 60 days during the autumn and winter.
The temperature levels were a near-ambient control OTC (0) and a heated OTC (+) treatment (+4°C). During autumn and winter, leaf cell membrane damage (LT50) of ‘Picual’ and ‘Arbequina’ grown in heated treatments was higher than control treatments.
For example, ‘Arbequina’ plants grown inside OTC (+) during the autumn exhibited LT50 values of -7.12±0.67°C and inside OTC (0) the values were -9±0.55°C. The results showed that the exposure to warming decreased olive freezing resistance, suggesting that global climate change could limit olive crop acclimation to low temperatures and decrease survivability under freezing events.
Warmer temperatures during the autumn and winter will potentially increase growing season length, and could expose less adapted plants to low and freezing temperatures, increasing the risk of frost damage.
The objective of this study was to determine leaf frost resistance of olive (Olea europaea) exposed to experimental warming.
A field experiment with two temperature levels was conducted using well-irrigated, potted olive trees (‘Arbequina’ and ‘Picual’) grown in open-top chambers (OTC) for two periods of 60 days during the autumn and winter.
The temperature levels were a near-ambient control OTC (0) and a heated OTC (+) treatment (+4°C). During autumn and winter, leaf cell membrane damage (LT50) of ‘Picual’ and ‘Arbequina’ grown in heated treatments was higher than control treatments.
For example, ‘Arbequina’ plants grown inside OTC (+) during the autumn exhibited LT50 values of -7.12±0.67°C and inside OTC (0) the values were -9±0.55°C. The results showed that the exposure to warming decreased olive freezing resistance, suggesting that global climate change could limit olive crop acclimation to low temperatures and decrease survivability under freezing events.
Publication
Authors
N. Arias, G. Parra, A. Miserere, V. Cortes Molina, R. Argañaraz, P. Searles, S. Bucci, M.C. Rousseaux
Keywords
climate change, frost resistance, membrane damage, Olea europaea L
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