Abstract
This work was conducted over three-year monitoring seasons of three almond cultivars (Guara, Marta, and Lauranne) subjected to deficit irrigation in combination with cover crops in a Mediterranean semiarid area (SW, Spain). Four water–soil treatments were evaluated based on the conjunction of two irrigation strategies: fully irrigated (FI), covering 100% of the ETC, and regulated deficit irrigation (RDI), with two soil-management systems: bare soil (BS) and cover crop based on a mixture of vetch (Vicia sativa L.) and oat (Avena sativa L.) (CC). Throughout the study period in trees, the yield, the stem water potential (Ψstem), leaf nutrient content (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Zn, Mn, and Cu) in soils, organic carbon, microbial biomass, fluoresceine diacetate, and enzymatic activities (dehydrogenase, protease, β-glucosidase, and alkaline phosphatase) were determined. In addition, the dry matter and carbon fixation by plant covers were evaluated. For Guara and Lauranne, yield reductions (22 and 26%, respectively) were found for water-stressed (RDI-CC) plots with respect to non-stressed combination (FI-CC) plots, contrasting with cv. Marta, without a significant impact on productivity in all combinations. That is, the RDI (~3.000 m3 ha−1) strategy enabled acceptable productivity, offering promising possibilities for cultivation performance under water-scarcity scenarios. Important differences in Ψstem could be observed and ascribed to irrigation strategies, especially for Guara and Lauranne, but without significant effects due to the soil-management systems applied. No differences were observed in the tree nutritional status due to the presence or absence of CC; however, its presence increased the fixation of atmospheric carbon, which was not the case under BS conditions. Additionally, CC significantly fostered the microbial processes and enzymatic activities, particularly in upper soil layers (0–10 cm) and with plenty of water supply in FI-CC plots and to a lesser extent in RDI-CC plots, which could encourage prominent aspects for soil quality and health restoration. Thus, the cover crop is congruent with RDI to facilitate soil functionality and water savings in a changing climate, contributing to resilient farming systems in the Mediterranean environment.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
For Guara, deficit irrigation with cover crop (RDI-CC) reduced yield by 22% relative to fully irrigated cover crop plots.
- Taxon
- almond
Prunus dulcise1 - Material
- Guarae2
- Treatment
- water-stressed (RDI-CC)e2
- Outcome
- yielde2
- Direction
- reductionse2
- Value
- 22e2
- Comparator
- non-stressed combination (FI-CC)e2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“three almond cultivars (Guara, Marta, and Lauranne)”
e2“For Guara and Lauranne, yield reductions (22 and 26%, respectively) were found for water-stressed (RDI-CC) plots with respect to non-stressed combination (FI-CC) plots”
Claim · model-written summary
For Lauranne, deficit irrigation with cover crop (RDI-CC) reduced yield by 26% relative to fully irrigated cover crop plots.
- Taxon
- almondPrunus dulcise1
- Material
- Laurannee2
- Treatment
- water-stressed (RDI-CC)e2
- Outcome
- yielde2
- Direction
- reductionse2
- Value
- 26%e2
- Comparator
- non-stressed combination (FI-CC)e2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“three almond cultivars (Guara, Marta, and Lauranne)”
e2“For Guara and Lauranne, yield reductions (22 and 26%, respectively) were found for water-stressed (RDI-CC) plots with respect to non-stressed combination (FI-CC) plots”
Claim · model-written summary
For cv. Marta, deficit irrigation had no significant impact on productivity in any combination.
- Taxon
- almondPrunus dulcise1
- Material
- Martae2
- Outcome
- productivitye2
- Direction
- no_changeinferrede2
- Qualifier
- in all combinationse2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“three almond cultivars (Guara, Marta, and Lauranne)”
e2“contrasting with cv. Marta, without a significant impact on productivity in all combinations”
Claim · model-written summary
The RDI strategy (~3.000 m3 ha−1) enabled acceptable productivity in almond.
- Taxon
- almondPrunus dulcise1
- Treatment
- RDI (~3.000 m3 ha−1)e2
- Outcome
- acceptable productivitye2
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“three almond cultivars (Guara, Marta, and Lauranne)”
e2“the RDI (~3.000 m3 ha−1) strategy enabled acceptable productivity”
Claim · model-written summary
Stem water potential differed between irrigation strategies, especially for Guara and Lauranne.
- Taxon
- almondPrunus dulcise1
- Treatment
- irrigation strategiese2
- Outcome
- Ψsteme2
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“three almond cultivars (Guara, Marta, and Lauranne)”
e2“Important differences in Ψstem could be observed and ascribed to irrigation strategies, especially for Guara and Lauranne, but without significant effects due to the soil-management systems applied”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil-management systems (cover crop versus bare soil) had no significant effect on stem water potential.
- Taxon
- almondPrunus dulcise1
- Treatment
- soil-management systemse2
- Outcome
- Ψsteme2
- Qualifier
- without significant effectse2
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“three almond cultivars (Guara, Marta, and Lauranne)”
e2“Important differences in Ψstem could be observed and ascribed to irrigation strategies, especially for Guara and Lauranne, but without significant effects due to the soil-management systems applied”
Claim · model-written summary
Cover crop did not change tree nutritional status compared with bare soil.
- Taxon
- almondPrunus dulcise1
- Treatment
- CCe2
- Outcome
- tree nutritional statuse2
- Direction
- no_changeinferrede2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“three almond cultivars (Guara, Marta, and Lauranne)”
e2“No differences were observed in the tree nutritional status due to the presence or absence of CC”
Claim · model-written summary
Cover crop increased the fixation of atmospheric carbon, which did not occur under bare soil.
- Taxon
- almondPrunus dulcise1
- Treatment
- CCe2
- Outcome
- fixation of atmospheric carbone2
- Direction
- increasede2
- Comparator
- BS conditionse2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“three almond cultivars (Guara, Marta, and Lauranne)”
e2“presence or absence of CC; however, its presence increased the fixation of atmospheric carbon, which was not the case under BS conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
Cover crop significantly fostered microbial processes and enzymatic activities in the upper soil layers.
- Taxon
- almondPrunus dulcise1
- Treatment
- CCe2
- Outcome
- microbial processes and enzymatic activitiese2
- Direction
- fosterede2
- Setting
- upper soil layers (0–10 cm)e2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“three almond cultivars (Guara, Marta, and Lauranne)”
e2“CC significantly fostered the microbial processes and enzymatic activities, particularly in upper soil layers (0–10 cm)”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that cover crop congruent with RDI supports soil functionality and water savings in almond.
- Taxon
- almondPrunus dulcise1
- Outcome
- soil functionality and water savingse2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“three almond cultivars (Guara, Marta, and Lauranne)”
e2“the cover crop is congruent with RDI to facilitate soil functionality and water savings”
The same questions in other papers
irrigation · yield · Prunus dulcis (almond)Positive and negative results
9 papers in the same direction as this paper · 15 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- no effect
- negative
21 papers more in this group
See all 25 papers →drought · yield · Prunus dulcis (almond)Results agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- negative
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.