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Flowers have played a significant role in society, focusing on their aesthetic value rather than their food potential. This study’s goal was to look into flowering plants for everything from health benefits to other possible applications. This review presents detailed information on 119 species of flowers with agri-food and health relevance. Data were collected on their family, species, common name, commonly used plant part, bioremediation applications, main chemical compounds, medicinal and gastronomic uses, and concentration of bioactive compounds such as carotenoids and phenolic compounds. In this respect, 87% of the floral species studied contain some toxic compounds, sometimes making them inedible, but specific molecules from these species have been used in medicine. Seventy-six percent can be consumed in low doses by infusion. In addition, 97% of the species studied are reported to have medicinal uses (32% immune system), and 63% could be used in the bioremediation of contaminated environments. Significantly, more than 50% of the species were only analysed for total concentrations of carotenoids and phenolic compounds, indicating a significant gap in identifying specific molecules of these bioactive compounds. These potential sources of bioactive compounds could transform the health and nutraceutical industries, offering innovative approaches to combat oxidative stress and promote optimal well-being. © 2023 by the authors.

In the Ecuadorian Amazon region, there are various types of edible fruits that have distinct qualities and benefits. Understanding the uses, properties, and functions of these fruits is important for researching products that are only available in local markets. This review aims to gather and summarize the existing scientific literature on the ethnobotany, physicochemical composition, and bioactive compounds of these native fruits to highlight the potential of the region’s underutilized biodiversity. A systematic review was carried out following the PRISMA methodology, utilizing databases such as Web of Science, Scopus, Pubmed, Redalyc, and SciELO up to August 2023. The research identified 55 edible fruits from the Ecuadorian Amazon and reported their ethnobotanical information. The most common uses were fresh fruit consumption, preparation of typical food, and medicine. Additionally, nine native edible fruits were described for their physicochemical characteristics and bioactive components: Aphandra natalia (Balslev and Henderson) Barfod; Eugenia stipitate McVaugh; Gustavia macarenensis Philipson; Mauritia flexuosa L.f; Myrciaria dubia (Kunth) McVaugh; Oenocarpus bataua Mart; Plukenetia volubilis L.; Pouteria caimito (Ruiz and Pav.) Radlk.; and Solanum quitoense Lam. The analyzed Amazonian fruits contained bioactive compounds such as total polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, and anthocyanins. This information highlights their potential as functional foods and the need for further research on underutilized crops.

Common bean is typically cultivated in the Mediterranean basin, an area where water scarcity could limit yield. This species has a broad range of food uses (seed or pod) and very diverse growth patterns (indeterminate or determinate), which hinders any deficit irrigation strategy. The aim of this work was to evaluate the response of the vegetative and reproductive growth stages to water stress in beans of indeterminate habit. During two consecutive Autumn seasons (2020 and 2021), two cultivars of green bean were grown in a greenhouse in Seville (Spain). The experimental design was a split plot with four replications. One of the factors considered was the cultivars Helda, and Perfección Blanca; and the other was the irrigation strategy: a control treatment, which received 100% of crop evapotranspiration, and a regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) treatment, with 30% of the water applied to the control. In both seasons, significant differences were found between cultivars, but irrigation only reduced branch development around 50%. Reproductive growth was not markedly affected, although a clear diminishing trend of approximately 25% was measured in P. Pod length and the number of non-commercial pods were not importantly impacted by irrigation in any of the cultivars. Moderate water stress conditions did not reduce the quality and quantity of the yield. Therefore, the current irrigation strategy could increase water savings with low or no yield reduction. © 2022 by the authors.

Intensification of olive production could suppose an increase of natural resources consumption as well as an acceleration of soil degradation. Studies of soil and trees combining different strategies of water management and fertilization to solve these drawbacks are scarce and contradictory. The aim of this work was to describe the effect of organic and inorganic fertilization in soil parameters (water availability, physico-chemical properties and greenhouse gas emissions) and tree development (fruit and crown growth pattern) in rainfed and irrigated conditions in two different olive systems (hedgerow and intensive). The solid olive-mill by-product called “Alperujo” compost (AC) was added as organic fertilization in both systems and two irrigation managements (full and deficit) at the hedgerow sites were also considered. The addition of AC tended to increase soil water retention and soil organic matter (SOM), displaying on average about 15% and 20% more respectively in soils treated compared to their controls in both experiments. Irrigation rather than compost addition was the factor controlling the evolution of both fruit and tree growth. However, AC seemed influenced fruit production specially at the hedgerow system that yielded 30% and 41% more for the deficit and full irrigation management with compost than their respective controls. Emissions of GHE did not generally increase with the AC addition and showed a marked seasonal character in both sites. Regardless irrigation, at the hedgerow site, the full irrigation regimen tended to increase CO2 and CH4 soil fluxes. The agronomic use of organic wastes combined with a deficit irrigation strategy proved to be an efficient tool for nutrient recycling, and promoting a zero waste circular economy and a water conservation strategy.

The water needs for tomato crops are very high and could limit the viability of cultivation in semiarid environments. There is no agreement among works on irrigation regarding the sensibility of the flowering period. In addition, there is a lack of studies about the effects of water stress on fruit and cluster development under severe water stress. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of water stress and rehydration during cluster development. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse (Seville, Spain) in two different growth cycles (autumn 2021 and spring 2022) using three different cultivars. Two irrigation treatments were applied: a control, with full irrigated conditions, and severe stress, without irrigation during the development of the fifth cluster (43 days (autumn) and 21 days (spring) after transplantation) followed by rehydration. Plant height was significantly decreased, by approximately 10%, in the irrigation treatment during the autumn cycle, however, not in spring. A delayed cluster emergence occurred, however, the final number per plant at the end of the experiment was the same when rehydration was applied (73 and 56 days after transplanting). In the autumn cycle, only the fruit size was considerably affected, with more than a 50% reduction on some dates, though not in the first cluster. However, the extremely severe water stress during the spring cycle, with strong defoliation, reduced the number (around 50%) and size (around 40%) of the fruit. Total soluble solids increased only on isolated dates of the harvest in the stress plants. The response of cherry cultivars to water stress was similar in terms of quality parameters. Fruit size was the most sensitive yield component, and no recovery was detected at harvest after rehydration. The effect of severe water stress was different depending on the evaporative demand and, more importantly, on fruit size.

Endocarp development in olive trees includes three periods: growth (Period I), massive sclerification (Period II) and maximum hardening (Period III). The two first are strongly related to yield and irrigation management. Period I was reported to coincide with mesocarp cell division and thus with final fruit size. Period II was considered to be the most drought-resistant phenological stage. However, little is known in olive trees about the length of these periods and their capacity for predicting fruit size at harvest. The aim of this work was to evaluate the length of both periods in different cultivars and different location of full irrigated orchards. We also aimed to study the fruit feature impact on harvest at the end of Period I. Data from full irrigated olive orchards of cv Cornicabra, Arbequina and Manzanilla in two different locations (Ciudad Real, Central Spain, and Seville, South Spain) were used. The pattern of pit-breaking pressure throughout the season was measured with fruit samples for several years (2006 to 2022). These data and climatic data were used to compare different estimation methods for the length of Period I and II of endocarp development. Then, fruit volume and dry weight at the end of Period I were used to estimate fruit features at harvest. Results suggest that the Period I length was less temperature- and cultivar-dependent than expected. The duration of this period was almost constant at around 49 days after full bloom. Thermal time was negatively correlated with fruit size at the end of Period I. On the contrary, a lineal thermal model presented the lowest variability when estimating the Period II length, which was also affected by the cultivar. The best fit between fruit dry weight and volume at Period I vs. harvest was unique for oil cultivars (Cornicabra and Arbequina), while cv Manzanilla presented a different relationship. A temperature increase in the future would not affect the Period I length but would reduce the fruit size at

The continuous monitoring of water stress will increase the accuracy of the deficit irrigation scheduling. Almonds are very sensitive to water stress conditions and an important water consumer. Recently, a novel approach to the use of trunk growth rate (TGR) data has been proposed for olive trees. These works suggested the use of TGR frequencies to evaluate water status of the trees. The aim of the current work was to compare the seasonal pattern of three different indicators derived from the daily curves of trunk diameter fluctuations with midday stem water potential. During three consecutive seasons (2017-2019), an irrigation experiment was carried out in a mature almond orchard (cv Vairo) at Dos Hermanas (Seville, Spain). Four irrigation treatments replicated in four blocks were evaluated using the daily curves of midday stem water potential and trunk diameter fluctuations. The different irrigation treatments were: Control, full irrigated conditions; RDI-1 (irrigation scheduling based on midday stem water potential with a deficit irrigation during kernel filling [values around -1.2 MPa]); RDI-2 (similar to RDI-1 but with a more severe water stress [-2 MPa]) and incomplete recovery after harvest due to limitation of the seasonal amount of water (around 100 mm); SDI, sustained deficit irrigation with a seasonal applied water equal to RDI-2. Trunk diameter fluctuations were measured with a wireless band dendrometer. The daily curves were processed to obtain three different indicators. Maximum daily shrinkage (MDS) was the difference between the daily maximum and minimum. Trunk growth rate (TGR) was the difference between two consecutive daily maximums. The frequencies of several ranges of TGR were compared with the midday stem water potential. Weekly frequencies of values greater than 0.3 mm day(-1) decreased with the reduction of midday stem water potential, but the pattern changed greatly in different seasons. The weekly frequency of values between - 0.1 and 0 and

The canopy temperature is a promising methodology for deficit irrigation scheduling. This measurement is used to calculate the crop water stress index (CWSI), which needs the estimation of non-water stress baseline (NWSB). In olive orchards, NWSB changed at different times of the day and throughout the season. The aim of this work was to evaluate a simplified methodology for estimating NWSB to allow reducing costs and facilitate the CWSI estimation. The experiment was performed during two consecutive seasons (2020 and 2021) in a young super-intensive density olive orchard (Olea europaea L. cv Manzanillo). Three irrigation treatments were evaluated in a completely randomized design with 6 repetitions: Control, Full Irrigated; Regulated Deficit Irrigation (RDI) with a period of water stress during pit hardening, and Rainfed. The midday stem water potential and leaf conductance were measured every week during the irrigation season. The canopy temperature was measured with a low-cost thermal camera attached to a tablet. The CWSI was estimated for the same trees used to measure the midday stem water potential and leaf conductance. The NWSB was calculated in different ways, considering several simplifications. Firstly, NWBS was obtained using previously published equations (one or several equations throughout the season). Secondly, climate data were measured in the orchard together with the canopy temperature or using daily values from a weather station nearby. CWSI estimations using different equations were closely related (R2 = 0.95; MSE = 0.008) and one fit was considered successful. Although the differences in the values from different sources was considerable and significant, the CWSI estimation did not present major variations and the use of data from the weather station could be assumed in commercial orchards. The CWSI successfully identified water stress in Rainfed conditions, mainly when the stomata closure was detected. However, the differentiation between Contr

Drought sensitivity in olive trees varies throughout the season. The yield response to drought needs to consider the final use of the fruits and harvest date. In Mediterranean climates, the oil accumulation tends to occur in a period of low evaporative demand and during the rainy period. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of water stress during pit hardening on the yield components of oil olive trees. The experiment was conducted during three seasons (2017–2019) in a mature hedgerow olive orchard (11 years-old, Arbequina cv). The experiment design was a randomized completed block with 4 repetitions of 4 different irrigation treatments. Treatments were: Control, no water stress throughout the season; Regulated deficit irrigation (RDI)-1, moderate water stress during pit hardening and total recovery after the last week of August; RDI-2, same as RDI-1 but with severe water stress and partial recovery; and sustained deficit irrigation (SDI), constant applied water rate and the same seasonal water than RDI-2. The irrigation scheduling in RDIs were based on the frequencies of the trunk growth rate. No significant differences were found in fruit and oil yield between treatments. There were a significant relationship between water status measurements and fruit and oil yield. Part of the decrease in fruit yield with midday stem water potential (SWP) was related to fruit moisture, as no significant fruit drop was found. Only conditions of water stress in 2017, before the end of endocarp size, were related to a great reduction of fruit volume and, consequently, with fruit and oil yield. The relationship between the percentage of oil in dry weight and SWP was quadratic in different phases. Such relationships could help quantify the water stress level in these periods to maximize oil accumulation. © 2021 Elsevier B.V.

Water scarcity is one of the top five key global risks over the last years, and agriculture is the major and least efficient user of fresh water. In this scenario, the “hydroSOStainable” concept has been developed and registered to protect fruits and vegetables cultivated with a volume of water below the crop evapotranspiration. The purpose of this experimental study was to investigate how the information influence the consumer liking and preference of the roasting almonds labelled as “hydroSOStainable” and “conventional”, although belonged to the same sample. Thus, we explored 300 consumers (Seville, Spain (high levels of water stress) versus Donostia, Spain and Wroclaw, Poland (regions with no water stress)) preference and acceptance of roasted almonds using satisfaction degree, CATA and willingness to pay questions. The present study demonstrated that both location and sociodemographic aspects influenced consumers perception and liking. Consumers living in areas with water restrictions were more susceptible to be influenced by the hydroSOStainable/conventional concept, while consumers from regions without water restrictions would need more information to choose a sustainable product. Both man and women, centennials and millennials scored higher the supposed hydroSOStainable almonds, while generation X was not really influenced by the information effect. Finally, 77% of consumers, regardless of location, were willing to pay a higher price for the almonds labelled “hydroSOStainable”. Consequently, these results provide valuable information for the government and food industry about consumer choice regarding sustainable products, depending on the location, knowledge, and sociodemographic aspects.

Consumers look for unique wines, offering pleasant experiences. Wine producers need to open new markets and are targeting countries with fewer traditions in drinking red and complex wines, such as Poland, Russia and Germany. The use of less popular aging vessels (e.g., clay-tinajas) will help in creating unique wines. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the aging vessel on the volatile and sensory profiles and consumer acceptance of red wine in Spain and Poland (model of potential new markets). Three wines were studied: (i) wine A, aged in a clay-tinaja with non-permeable coating); (ii) wine B, aged in clay-tinaja without coating; and (iii) wine C, aged in oak barrels (control). The key families in the volatile profiles were esters (wines B and C) and organic acids and terpenes (wine A). Wine A was described as sour and bitter, wine B had a distinctive mineral note, and wine C had a complex profile with typical wood notes. Finally, wines C and A were the preferred ones for Spanish and Polish consumers, respectively. Clay-tinaja wine A can be a good option to introduce clay-tinaja wines in Polish and similar markets because it is a unique product and fulfills the sensory demands/habits of Polish consumers.

Regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) is a useful strategy to reduce the water consumption maintaining the fruit quality. The almonds cultivated under RDI conditions are called hydroSOStainable because are produced under environmentally friendly conditions and present an improved quality. It was demonstrated that almond cultivar and agronomical practices, can affect the kernel chemical composition and consequently the parameters for the roasting process of almonds. The influence of three roasting temperatures (150 °C, 170 °C and 190 °C) on the quality of almonds belonging to 2 irrigation treatments (T1: control and T2: hydroSOStainable almonds) was evaluated. For this, moisture, water activity (aw), organic acids, sugars, antioxidant activity (AA), total phenolic content (TPC) and fatty acids content were measured. Results showed that moisture content, aw, AA (ABTS•+ and DPPH•), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were reduced with the most severe roasting treatment. While citric, isobutyric, maltoheptaose and maltotriose content was increased. HydroSOStainable almonds had significantly higher content of AA, TPC, organic acids, sugars, PUFAs and total fatty acids than control almonds; this tendency was present at 170 °C, but not at 190 °C. Consequently, 170 °C during 10 min was the recommended roasting conditions for the hydroSOStainable almonds.

Midday stem water potential (SWP) is rapidly becoming adopted as a standard tool for plant-based irrigation management in many woody perennial crops. A reference or “baseline” SWP has been used in some crops (almond, prune, grape, and walnut) to account for the climatic influence of air vapor pressure deficit (VPD) on SWP under non-limiting soil moisture conditions. The baseline can be determined empirically for field trees maintained under such non-limiting conditions, but such conditions are difficult to achieve for an entire season. We present the results of an alternative survey-based approach, using a large set of SWP and VPD data collected over multiple years, from irrigation experiments in olive orchards located in multiple countries [Spain, United States (California), Italy, and Argentina]. The relation of SWP to midday VPD across the entire data set was consistent with an upper limit SWP which declined with VPD, with the upper limit being similar to that found in Prunus. A best fit linear regression estimate for this upper limit (baseline) was found by selecting the maximum R2 and minimum probability for various upper fractions of the SWP/VPD relation. In addition to being surprisingly similar to the Prunus baseline, the olive baseline was also similar (within 0.1 MPa) to a recently published mechanistic olive soil-plant-atmosphere-continuum (SPAC) model for “super high density” orchard systems. Despite similarities in the baseline, the overall physiological range of SWP exhibited by olive extends to about −8 MPa, compared to about −4 MPa for economically producing almond. This may indicate that, despite species differences in physiological responses to low water availability (drought), there may be convergent adaptations/acclimations across species to high levels of water availability. Similar to its use in other crops, the olive baseline will enable more accurate and reproducible plant-based irrigation management for both full and deficit irrigation pract

Flowers have been used for centuries in decoration and traditional medicine, and as components of dishes. In this study, carotenoids and phenolics from 125 flowers were determined by liquid chromatography (RRLC and UHPLC). After comparing four different extractants, the carotenoids were extracted with acetone: methanol (2:1), which led to a recovery of 83%. The phenolic compounds were extracted with 0.1% acidified methanol. The petals of the edible flowers Renealmia alpinia and Lantana camara showed the highest values of theoretical vitamin A activity expressed as retinol activity equivalents (RAE), i.e., 19.1 and 4.1 RAE/g fresh weight, respectively. The sample with the highest total phenolic contents was Punica granatum orange (146.7 mg/g dry weight). It was concluded that in most cases, flowers with high carotenoid contents did not contain high phenolic content and vice versa. The results of this study can help to develop innovative concepts and products for the industry. © 2021 by the authors.

BACKGROUND Water scarcity is a worldwide problem that leads to environmental and economic issues. Agriculture is one of the main consumers of water for irrigation and fertilization and almond is the major tree nut crop in the Mediterranean area. Furthermore, there is a continuous growing demand for healthy, vegan and sustainable products. Consequently, the present study aimed to chemically characterize almond milk powder enriched with probiotics manufactured from hydroSOStainable almonds (i.e. generated under water stress conditions). Almond milk powder enriched with probiotic bacteria was produced with almonds grown under optimal irrigation conditions (100% of the crop evapotranspiration) and was chemically compared to the samples made from hydroSOStainable almonds. Antioxidant activity, total phenolic content (TPC), minerals, organic acids and sugars, fatty acids, and descriptive sensory analysis were evaluated. RESULTS The results showed that almond milk powder produced from hydroSOStainable almonds had a higher content of TPC, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), PUFAs/saturated fatty acids (SFAs) ratio and PUFAs/monounsaturated fatty acids ratio, as well as almond and nutty flavors. Moderate and sustained deficit irrigation leads to powders with a higher content of PUFAs and PUFAs/SFAs ratio, which are parameters of utmost importance for health. CONCLUSION Using these strategies, between 66% and 76% of the irrigation water can be saved, producing hydroSOStainable almond milk powder higher in TPC and PUFAs, as well as positive sensory attributes, compared to that from fully irrigated almonds. These findings may have a positive impact in both agriculture and food industry, allowing water savings and high quality and sustainable food products to be obtained. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry

Global warming enhances the rainfall and temperature irregularity, producing a collapse in water resources and generating an urgent need for hydro-sustainable thinking in agriculture. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the water stress of almond trees and quality parameters of fruits, after 3 years of experiments, with the objective of establishing quality markers necessary in the certification process of hydroSOStainable almonds. The results showed positive correlations among the stress integral (SI) and dry weight, color coordinates (L*, a* and b*), minerals (K, Fe, and Zn), organic acids (citric acid), sugars (sucrose, fructose, and total sugars), antioxidant activity, and fatty acids [linoleic acid, polyunsaturated (PUFA)/monounsaturated (MUFA) ratio, PUFA and SFA, among others]. As well as negative correlations of SI with water activity, weight (almond, kernel, and shell), kernel size, minerals (Ca and Mg), fatty acids (oleic acid, oleic/linoleic ratio, MUFA, and PUFA/SFA ratio), and sensory attributes (size, bitterness, astringency, benzaldehyde, and woody). Finally, this research helped to prove key quality parameters that can be used as makers of hydroSOStainable almonds. In addition, it was demonstrated that controlling water stress in almond trees by using deficit irrigation strategies can lead to appropriate yields, improve the product quality, and consequently, lead to a final added value. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) involves water stress management in different phenological periods throughout the season. Research in olive trees (oil production) suggested RDI during pit hardening based in pre-dawn and midday stem water potential (SWP) thresholds. However, the previous thresholds may not be extrapolated to table olive because fruit size, a very important feature in the table olive yield quality, is very sensitive to water stress. RDI in table olive deserve further research to determine the optimal water potential thresholds and the duration of the RDI periods for the specificity of the crop (low crop load to promote high fruit size). The aim of this work was to study different RDI schedules during pit hardening, considering different levels and durations of water stress. The experiment was performed in the 2015, 2016 and 2017 seasons, in a commercial mature table olive orchard (cv. Manzanilla) in Dos Hermanas (Seville, Spain). Control treatments were based on midday SWP measurement in order to optimize the water status with values around −1.4 MPa. Two RDI treatments were applied during pit hardening, dated (according to the changes in longitudinal fruit growth) from mid-June to the last week of August) to maintain water potential values around −2 MPa (RDI-1) and −3.5 MPa (RDI-3). Another RDI treatment (RDI-2) received irrigation to maintain values around −3.5 MPa but the recovery was performed at early July in order to obtain different durations of water stress. Irrigation strategies were evaluated with water relations measurements (soil moisture, gas exchange), fruit and shoot growth and quality and quantity yield indicators. Yield was not significantly affected in any of the RDI treatments with an ANOVA analysis. However, fruit drop estimated as the percentage of fruit lost only in the period of water deficit was related with water stress parameters (SWP and stress integral, IS). In addition, the relationship between fruits size and these latt

El olivar es un cultivo milenario en la cuenca Mediterránea, asociado habitualmente a condiciones de secano. Esto es debido a su gran resistencia al estrés hídrico, que le permite soportar condiciones extremas de falta de agua, siendo capaz de continuar produciendo. No obstante, el riego e este cultivo supone una mejora en la producción, mayor cuanto más densos son los olivares. Esta mejora productiva ha dado lugar a un incremento paulatino de la superficie en estas condiciones

Deficit irrigation scheduling is becoming increasingly important under commercial conditions. Water status measurement is a useful tool in these conditions. However, the information about water stress levels for olive trees is scarce. The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effect on yield of a moderate controlled water stress level at the end of the irrigation season. The experiment was conducted in the experimental farm of La Hampa (Coria del Río, Seville, Spain) during three years. A completely randomized block design was performed using three different irrigation treatments. Deficit irrigation was applied several (4 or 2) weeks before harvest. Irrigation was controlled using the midday stem water potential, with a threshold value of −2 MPa and compared with a full irrigated treatment. This water stress did not reduced gas exchange during the deficit period. The effect on yield was not significant in any of the three seasons. In the high-fruit load season, fruit volume was slightly affected (around 10%), but this was not significant at harvest. Results suggest an early affection of fruit growth with water stress, but with a slow rate of decrease. Moderate water stress could be useful for the management of deficit irrigation in table olive trees.

Fresh water availability is considered highly risky because it is a finite resource, and a deficiency in water leads to numerous economic and environmental issues. Agriculture is one of the main consumers of fresh water in practices such as irrigation and fertilization. In this context, the main objectives of this study were (i) to determine the descriptive sensory profiles of four almond types grown using different irrigation strategies and (ii) to study their acceptance in a cross-cultural study (Romania and Spain). Consumers' willingness to pay for hydroSOS almonds was also evaluated. The four irrigation strategies evaluated were a control sample, two samples grown under regulated deficit irrigation strategies (RDI), and a sample grown under a sustained deficit irrigation strategy (SDI). The main conclusion was that neither descriptive nor affective sensory results showed significant differences among treatments. These findings should encourage farmers to reduce their water usage by demonstrating that sensory quality was not significantly affected by any of the studied treatments, compared to the control. Regarding willingness to pay, both Spanish and Romanian consumers were willing to pay a higher price for the hydroSOS almonds.

The aim of this study was to assess commercial quality parameters, sugars, phenolics, carotenoids and plastid in diverse and little studied tomato varieties to gain insight into their commercial and functional quality and reveal possible noticeable differences. Five cherry tomato varieties and six common (i.e., non-cherry) tomatoes were evaluated. The highest levels of lycopene were detected in ‘Tigerella’ and ‘Byelsa’ and those of phytoene in ‘Orangeʾ those of phenolics in ‘Green Zebra’ all of them common tomatoes. The levels of sugars in both groups of tomatoes were comparable. Interesting differences in plastid carotenoid-accumulating sub-structures as a function of the carotenoid profile were observed. Given the importance of chromoplasts in the deposition of carotenoids in plants and their release during digestion, this information can be valuable in investigations on the regulation of the biosynthesis and the bioavailability of tomato carotenoids

The influence of full irrigation, double-regulated (RDI) and sustained deficit irrigation (SDI) treatments on almond quality was assessed by analyzing different parameters: sugars, organic acids, antioxidant activity, total phenolic content (TPC), and volatile compounds. Almond quality studies for plants submitted to water stress are scarce, and it is essential to understand the biochemical responses of plants to water stress in maintaining fruit yield and quality. Citric acid, sucrose, antioxidant activity, and TPC were not affected by the application of studied deficit irrigation strategies (DI). An increase in malic acid and a decrease in glucose was observed for stressed samples (T3 and T4), while a higher number of total volatiles compounds was found for moderate RDI (T2). Using deficit irrigation strategies, the almond yield and quality was not changed, and in fact, some parameters, such as glucose and key volatile compounds, slightly increased under moderate RDI. This finding might encourage farmers to implement these strategies and contribute to sustainable agriculture. © 2019 by the authors.

Sustainability is a feature that most companies adopt in order to improve their profits, even when their activity is not sustainable or the definition in their sector is not clear. This concept actually relates to the management of natural resources. Agriculture, and particularly irrigation scheduling, is strongly linked to a sustainable management; however, it is not clear what defines a sustainable management. Several efforts have been made to improve the conservation of water resources, but most of them have not involved growers at the orchard level; and consequently, they have lost their opportunity to create a real improvement in terms of sustainability. The aim of this work was to design a “hydroSOStainable index” (or “hydroSOS index”) that evaluates different aspects at orchard level to improve the sustainability of the water resources. The hydroSOS index considers 16 indicators grouped in 4 areas: (i) hydraulic indicators, (ii) horticultural indicators not related to irrigation scheduling, (iii) horticultural indicators related to the moment when deficit irrigation is applied (when?), and (iv) horticultural indicators related to the way deficit irrigation is applied (how?). Each indicator provides different marks or scores, and their sum allows classifying orchard management into four labels. The weight of each indicator and each group is not in itself enough to obtain a maximum label. Groups allow to easily identify the main limitations for the orchard to achieve a sustainable irrigation management. This index was used to evaluate water management of two cases of study. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.

Bruising is defined as the dark spots on the fruit surface that progress into the mesocarp as a consequence of mechanical damage during harvesting, handling or transport. Bruising is a relevant table olive quality trait since it may cause consumer rejection. In the last decades, olive orchards which were traditionally rainfed are being irrigated in order to increase productivity. However, currently Regulated Deficit Irrigation (RDI) strategies have been implanted in oil olive and recently in table olive orchards. Appropriate RDI strategies reduce total water consumption with little or no effect on production or fruit quality. In this work, the effect on bruise damage at harvest of three RDI treatments based on measurements of water potential during pit hardening compared to optimal plant water status (-1.2 MPa before pit hardening and -1.4 MPa after) has been studied in ‘Manzanilla de Sevilla’ olives. The strategies were as follows: RDI-1 aimed a moderate water stress at pit hardening (-2.0 MPa) and regular recovery at late August; RDI-2: severe water stress at pit hardening (-3.5 MPa) and early recovery (late July); RDI-3: severe water stress at pit hardening (-3.5 MPa) and regular recovery. This study was performed throughout the fruit growing season. The treatment with the highest Stress Integral (RDI-3) reduced pulp-to-pit ratio (on fresh weight basis) with no effect on fruit weight or oil content and more than 90% of the fruits reaching commercial categories according to the size. Furthermore, this treatment reduced the size of fruit bruises in comparison to early rehydration strategy. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.

The use of deficit irrigation techniques on olive orchards is the main trend aiming to optimize water savings while improving functional and sensory characteristics of oils from trees under deficit irrigation techniques. The brand hydroSOStainable has been defined for crops produced under water restriction conditions. HydroSOStainable olive oils obtained under two new regulated deficit irrigation and one sustained deficit irrigation treatments in “Arbequina” olive trees were evaluated by analyzing quality parameters, antioxidant activity, total phenol content, fatty acid profile, volatile compounds, and sensory descriptors. Results showed that some of these irrigation strategies improved the phenol content at “moderate” stress levels, slightly enriched the fatty acid profile (~3.5% increased oleic acid and simultaneously decreased saturated fatty acids), and increased some key volatile compounds and also several key sensory attributes. Therefore, hydroSOStainable olive oil may be more attractive to consumers as it is environmentally friendly, has a higher content of several bioactive compounds, and has improved sensory characteristics as compared to control (fully irrigated) oils. © 2019 by the authors.

Reduced water availability around the world drives the need for indicators that enable a better control of water stress at orchard level. Among the different parameters that could be used as indicators, trunk diameter fluctiations, are daily cycles suggested as tools for irrigation scheduling. These cycles can define different indicators and the trunk growth rate (TGR) was suggested as the most suitable for olive trees. Several works indicated that average TGR values are related to the tree water status even threshold values have been suggested. In addition, only daily TGR values below −0.1 mm day−1 were mentioned as water stress indicators. The aim of this work is to evaluate an irrigation scheduling approach based on those two results mentioned. To this end, an experiment was performed during the 2017 season, in a commercial, super-high-density orchard in Carmona (Seville, Spain). Four different irrigation treatments were applied based on midday stem water potential values and TGR. The Control treatment, with 100% ETc (crop evapotranspiration) and sustained deficit irrigation, was compared with two regulated deficit irrigation strategies based on TGR measurements. Severe water stress conditions were measured in the three deficit treatments. Irrigation scheduling using average TGR was not a suitable tool for the aim of the experiment because some data were lost and there were great variations in TGR values. However, it was found that average TGR values were related to midday stem water potential. The water potential and daily TGR data were grouped according to water stress levels (into values with water potential higher of −1.4 MPa and lower than −4 MPa). Daily TGR values greater than 0.3 mm day−1 were identified in response to severe water stress conditions. Weekly frequency of daily TGR values between −0.1 and 0.3 mm day−1 decreased from 60% to 25% when water stress level increased. Therefore, frequency and value of daily TGR are suggested as irrigation schedulin

Irrigation needs in mature almond orchards are very high. Although almond trees grow in rainfed conditions, the yield response is very sensitive to irrigation. Continuous monitoring of the water status could be an adequate tool to optimize deficit irrigation. In this sense, trunk diameter fluctuations appeared as a very promising indicator at the beginning of the century, but few data have been published. The aim of this work is to check threshold values of maximum daily shrikage (MDS) and identify possible limitations to their use in commercial orchards. The experiment was performed in a commercial farm in Dos Hermanas (Seville, Spain) during the 2017 season on a 7-years-old orchard (cv Vairo). The irrigation treatments were Control (100% ETc), sustained deficit irrigation (SDI) with a maximum seasonal irrigation of 100 mm and two regulated deficit treatments (RDI). Both RDI treatments (RDI-1 and RDI-2) were scheduled using the signal of maximum daily shrinkage (signal) and the midday stem water potential (SWP). In RDI-1, full irrigation conditions were provided before kernel filling and during postharvest, using the threshold values suggested in the bibliography. During kernel filling, the water stress level was designed to be -1.5 MPa (SWP) and 1.75 (signal). RDI-2 trees were irrigated using the same scheduling as RDI-1, but target water stress values were higher in kernel filling (-2 MPa and 2.75) and with a maximum seasonal amount of water of 100 mm. SWP in Control trees was near the McCutchan and Shackel baseline for most of the season. None of the deficit treatments reached the signal values suggested. Moreover, the signal values were almost equal between treatments, with no water stress effect. The trunk growth rate (TGR) presented clear differences depending on the water status.

Background: Three treatments of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) were assayed on olive trees for table olive production. RDI provides hydroSOStainable crops. The effect of RDI treatments on the quality of raw and table olives was determined based on their: weight, pit weight, fruit/pit ratio, size, texture, colour, mineral content, antioxidant activity, total phenol content and organic acid and sugar profile. Results: HydroSOStainable olives showed the most attractive shape and colour: highest fruit weight, roundest fruit, hardest texture and a lightest and greenest colour than control olives. Minerals, antioxidants, phenols and organic acids and sugars of hydroSOStainable olives were similar to control olives. After processing to table olives, calcium, potassium, antioxidants and phenols contents decreased, whereas sugars and organic acids profiles changed in both types of olives. Conclusions: HydroSOStainable table olives offer environmental and quality advantages over control olives given the reduced use of fresh water and favourable morphological traits, which are more attractive for consumers. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Around the world, the tomato is considered the most important vegetable because of the extent of the cultivated area. In addition, it requires vast amounts of irrigation but little is known about the management of deficit irrigation. This study aims to evaluate the effect of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) on development of crop and fruit quality for cherry tomatoes (ʽLazarinoʼ and ʽSummerbrixʼ). Two different cherry cultivars were used during two crop cycles (autumn and spring). RDI was scheduled with an initial period of no water stress and with a period of deficit from the beginning of the flowering, with a threshold of midday leaf water potential of around −1 MPa. It was found that the response to the irrigation treatment was affected by the season and even by the cluster considered. During the autumn cycle, there were no clear differences in yield despite water stress being mild but still significant. In the spring cycle, yield reduction peaked with different responses between cultivars. Water stress reduced fruit weight and fruit number per cluster in cv Summerbrix, producing a continuous decrease throughout the harvest period. In cv Lazarino, a yield reduction was detected only at the end of the harvest period and was related to the decrease in fruit weight and the number of inflorescence. The application of RDI reduced water by 85% and increased the content of soluble sugar, carotenoids and total phenols in both cultivars and cycles

Water scarcity is a threat for food production because, water, is more and more limited and force farmers to use new deficit irrigation (DI) strategies without affecting fruit yield and quality. No information exists on almond polyphenols and proanthocyanidins (PAs) produced under DI. The present work studied the effect of 2 regulated DI (RDI) and one sustained (SDI) on the low molecular weight phenolics together with the antioxidant activity (AA) in almonds. Fifteen phenolic compounds were identified (13 flavonoids and 2 non-flavonoids) and 10 PAs. Kaempferol-3-O-galactoside was the predominant compound in almond skin and whole kernel but it was not found in deskinned kernels. The use of moderate RDI significantly increased the total phenolic content in skin (∼9.8%), PAs, and the AA. Consequently, after one season the application of DI positively affected the almond cv. Vairo phenols, however, several seasons must be evaluated in order to corroborate the present results.

Aunque el olivo ha sido cultivado tradicionalmente en secano, se ha demostrado que el riego aumenta su productividad en la cuenca Mediterránea. Sin embargo, la presión social por la utilización del agua potable es cada vez más alta, por lo que se impone desde la agricultura mejorar la Eficiencia en el Uso del Agua (EUA). El Riego Deficitario Controlado (RDC) se ha acreditado como una excelente técnica de riego que mejora la EUA en frutales de hueso y en concreto en el olivo. Para un correcto uso del RDC se debe conocer los efectos del estrés hídrico en las distintas fases del cultivo. En olivo, la fase menos sensible al estrés hídrico ha sido establecida como la comprendida entre el endurecimiento del hueso (EH) y el inicio de la acumulación de aceite. Sin embargo, en la mayoría de los trabajos el momento en que se produce el EH está descrito vagamente. A partir de una nueva metodología para la determinación del EH se establece la posibilidad de ajustar mejor el estrés hídrico a este período. En este trabajo se emplearon 3 tratamientos: T0, T1 y T2. El tratamiento control o T0, fue regado según FAO, y si el potencial hídrico se reducía, se aumentaba el riego para asegurar un buen estado hídrico en la planta. Por su parte, T1 y T2 se regaron en función del potencial hídrico, aumentando la dosis de riego si se bajaba del potencial umbral considerado en cada caso y bajándola si lo sobrepasaba. Los umbrales fueron -1.2 MPa para antes del endurecimiento del hueso y -1.4 MPa para después de endurecimiento del hueso, para ambos tratamientos. T1 tuvo un umbral de -2 MPa durante el endurecimiento del hueso y T2 fue de -3 MPa durante este periodo. No se encontraron diferencias entre tratamientos en la producción, aunque si en el crecimiento vegetativo 5 páginas.-- 1 figuras.-- 2 tabla.-- 10 referencias.-- Comunicación presentadoa en el XIV Simposio Internacional Hispano-Portugués de Relaciones Hídricas en Plantas de la Sociedad Española y Portuguesa de Fisiología Vegetal.“La

Water stress level in the regulated deficit irrigation scheduling is less known. Water status indicators would provide an accurate tool to optimize small amount of available water. The aim of this work was studied the use of midday stem water potential and trunk diamater fluctuations in the deficit irrigation of almond trees. Baseline suggested for full irrigation in Prunus was near to the water potential of full irrigated trees. Signal of maximum daily shrinkage was almost insensitive to water stress, while trunk growth rate showed a good relationship. Such results confirm the limitations of using maximum daily shrinkage during the period of growth in almond.

Several regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies based on water status measurements in table olive (Olea europea L. cv Manzanilla de Sevilla) was analyzed during 3 years field experiment in Dos Hermanas (Sevilla, Spain). Scheduling based on midday stem water potential (SWP) with a water deficit period during pit hardening was performed in 4 irrigation treatments: Control treatment, consisted in optimal plant water status: -1.4 MPa from beginning pit hardening until harvest; RDI-1: -2 MPa until harvest; RDI-2: -3.5 MPa and early recovery at the beginning of August; RDI-3: -3.5 MPa until harvest. The results showed different levels of water stress and several durations at pit hardening. Fruit yield and quality was studied and not significances differences were found. The influence of tree load and water stress intensity in fruit size was studied

Water, especially in arid and semiarid regions, is increasingly a disputed commodity among different productive sectors; the pressure for a more sustainable use of water in agriculture will grow. The main strategy to cope with water scarcity is the use of improved, innovative, and precise deficit irrigation management practices which are able to minimize the impact on fruit yield and quality. The aim of this paper was to develop a certification index or hydroSOS quality index for extra virgin olive oil and processed table olives. The hydrosSOS fruits and vegetables are those cultivated under regulated deficit irrigation (RDI). Different indicators in three quality areas ((i) fatty acids, (ii) phenolic compounds, and (iii) sensory attributes) were identified as showing characteristic or typical responses under RDI conditions. Marks or scores were assigned to each one of these indicators to calculate the proposed index. It can be concluded that an extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) or processed table olives are hydroSOStainable foods, if they meet 2 conditions: (i) fulfill the conditions established in the hydroSOS “irrigation” index, and (ii) fulfill the requirements of the hydroSOS “quality” index. HydroSOS quality index will be specific to each crop and variety and will depend on functional and sensory factors

Regulated deficit irrigation in olive orchard is performed during pit hardening, midsummer. In table olive, the recovery should start at the end of August in order to obtain commercial fruit size. The aim of this work was to control deficit irrigation during few weeks before harvest. The experiment was performed in the experimental farm of La Hampa (Coria del Río, Seville, Spain). Irrigation was stopped 4 (RDI-2) and 2 (RDI-1) weeks before harvest until a water stress level of -2 MPa of midday stem water potential. The comparison with a full irrigated control showed that this level was reached only in high fruit load seasons and did not reduce gas exchange. The effect in yield was not significant in any of the three seasons. Fruit size was slightly reduced only in high fruit load seasons.

En este vídeo se explica una técnica agronómica de programación de riego deficitario en base a medidas de estado hídrico en planta. El indicador que se usa es la variación del diámetro del tronco. Esta medida, basada en dendrometría, permite la monitorización continua y a distancia del cultivo. Permitiendo un ajuste del riego diario, basado en las necesidades del cultivo y desde cualquier lugar.

En este video se aborda la programación de riego deficitario en función de las principales fases fenológicas del cultivo del olivo. Mostramos la mejor manera de determinar el comienzo del endurecimiento del hueso, y se explican los umbrales de riego para cada fase y los criterios necesarios a tener en cuenta para la programación de riego empleando la técnica de variación del diámetro del tronco.

Water scarcity in Mediterranean climate areas will be progressively aggravated by climate change, population increase and urban, tourism and industrial activities. To protect water resources and their integrity for future use and to improve biodiversity, besides following advanced deficit irrigation strategies in fruit cultivation, attention could well be directed towards what are at present underused plant materials able to withstand deficit irrigation with minimum impact on yield and fruit quality. To this end, the state of the art as regards deficit irrigation strategies and the response of some very interesting emerging fruit crops [jujube (Zizyphus jujuba Mill.), loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.), pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) and pomegranate (Punica granatum L.)] are reviewed. The strengths and weaknesses of deficit irrigation strategies and the mechanisms developed by these emerging fruit crops in the face of water stress are discussed. The response of these crops to deficit irrigation, with special attention paid to the effect on yield but also on fruit quality and health-related chemical compounds, was analysed in order to assess their suitability for saving water in Mediterranean semiarid agrosystems and to analyze their potential role as alternatives to currently cultivated fruit crops with higher water requirements. Finally, the factors involved in establishing an identity brand (hydroSOS) to protect fruits obtained under specific DI conditions are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between the effect of regulated deficit irrigation, cluster, developmental stages and two seasons (autumn 2015 and spring 2016) on the commercial and functional quality (carotenoids and plenolics levels) in ‘Lazarino’ and ‘Summerbrix’ tomatoes. Autumn had a positive effect on the commercial quality, with larger fruits (22% in ‘Summerbrix’; 26% in ‘Lazarino’) and higher soluble solids (16% in ‘Summerbrix’; 12% in ‘Lazarino’). Total carotenoids did not change significantly with irrigation and variety while total phenolics did with the cluster and season. In most cases, the main amounts of carotenoids and phenolic were found in the higher cluster and carotenoids in ripe fruit. Thus, irrigation of such varieties could be reduced drastically (ca. 80%) without affecting considerably the overall quality of their fruits (changes not greater than 30%).