Articles
Fractal agroforestry systems to prevent damages caused by hot temperatures and high solar radiation on citrus plants
Article number
1448_45
Pages
353 – 360
Language
English
Abstract
Stress from high temperatures and excess solar radiation harms citrus orchards.
Climate change and the gradual rise in temperature can make the problem worse.
This opens up the need for the development of new production systems that alleviate the higher temperatures.
Agroforestry systems (AFS) are planting alternatives where citrus trees growing in the understory of tree species can be protected by partial shading.
The fractal AFS (FAFS), developed in 2018 at Fazenda da Lagoa in Roraima, at latitude of 2°55’33”N and longitude 60°38’7”W, was so named because the arrangement of the combination of trees that repeat in its distribution is similar to fractals.
In the present work, FAFS was compared with a non-shaded (NS) planting, both irrigated.
In the FAFS were planted Albizia niopoides, fast-growing trees with foliage that allows great light permeability in the understory. Albizia plants were spaced by 14×5 m and planted in the same rows of ‘Natal’ orange trees, Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck, with a spacing of 7×2.5 m.
After three years, active photosynthetic radiation (PAR), air, leaf temperature throughout the day, height and volume of the canopy and fruit production were measured.
The work was developed with 20 repetitions and the means were compared by the student’s t-test.
NS canopy size was the same as FAFS. The FAFS fruit yield was of 7.6 kg plant‑1, while in NS it produced 3.15 kg.
NS leaves had maximum temperatures close to 40°C, 6°C above the FAFS leaves temperature.
It was attributed to the average reduction of 32% of incident radiation and the lower air temperature.
The higher production in FAFS could be explained by the lower thermal stress, as well as the PAR close to the light saturation of citrus photosynthesis.
Climate change and the gradual rise in temperature can make the problem worse.
This opens up the need for the development of new production systems that alleviate the higher temperatures.
Agroforestry systems (AFS) are planting alternatives where citrus trees growing in the understory of tree species can be protected by partial shading.
The fractal AFS (FAFS), developed in 2018 at Fazenda da Lagoa in Roraima, at latitude of 2°55’33”N and longitude 60°38’7”W, was so named because the arrangement of the combination of trees that repeat in its distribution is similar to fractals.
In the present work, FAFS was compared with a non-shaded (NS) planting, both irrigated.
In the FAFS were planted Albizia niopoides, fast-growing trees with foliage that allows great light permeability in the understory. Albizia plants were spaced by 14×5 m and planted in the same rows of ‘Natal’ orange trees, Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck, with a spacing of 7×2.5 m.
After three years, active photosynthetic radiation (PAR), air, leaf temperature throughout the day, height and volume of the canopy and fruit production were measured.
The work was developed with 20 repetitions and the means were compared by the student’s t-test.
NS canopy size was the same as FAFS. The FAFS fruit yield was of 7.6 kg plant‑1, while in NS it produced 3.15 kg.
NS leaves had maximum temperatures close to 40°C, 6°C above the FAFS leaves temperature.
It was attributed to the average reduction of 32% of incident radiation and the lower air temperature.
The higher production in FAFS could be explained by the lower thermal stress, as well as the PAR close to the light saturation of citrus photosynthesis.
Publication
Authors
C.L. Medina, N.A. Perez, P.R.C. Castro
Keywords
agroforestry system, shading, temperature stress, plant scald, sunburn damage, citrus productivity, global warm
Groups involved
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