<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>A detailed, species-specific comprehension of plant water behavior can be a central tool to improve water management in nursery production and irrigated landscapes. Potted plants of <italic>Nerium oleander</italic>, <italic>Pittosporum tobira</italic>, and <italic>Ligustrum japonicum</italic> ‘Texanum’ were exposed to controlled increasing drought conditions in greenhouse. Water use, gas exchange, and foliar thermoregulation were monitored along the trial. <italic>N. oleander</italic> showed the most efficient response to increasing water stress, maintaining high levels of gas exchange and evapotranspiration rate during the whole trial, whereas <italic>L. japonicum</italic> emerged as the most sensitive species, with a significant drop in physiological performances already from the second day. The more aggressive water behavior of <italic>N. oleander</italic> can be compared to the one of anisohydric plants, whereas <italic>L. japonicum</italic> displays an isohydric strategy. <italic>P. tobira</italic> showed intermediate characteristics between the two other species. This work comes to provide useful tools for the management of irrigation in plant nursery and for decision making in the use of ornamental shrubs for landscape applications.</p></abstract>

A detailed, species-specific comprehension of plant water behavior can be a central tool to improve water management in nursery production and irrigated landscapes. Potted plants of Nerium oleander, Pittosporum tobira, and Ligustrum japonicum ‘Texanum’ were exposed to controlled increasing drought conditions in greenhouse. Water use, gas exchange, and foliar thermoregulation were monitored along the trial. N. oleander showed the most efficient response to increasing water stress, maintaining high levels of gas exchange and evapotranspiration rate during the whole trial, whereas L. japonicum emerged as the most sensitive species, with a significant drop in physiological performances already from the second day. The more aggressive water behavior of N. oleander can be compared to the one of anisohydric plants, whereas L. japonicum displays an isohydric strategy. P. tobira showed intermediate characteristics between the two other species. This work comes to provide useful tools for the management of irrigation in plant nursery and for decision making in the use of ornamental shrubs for landscape applications.

Hydraulic Relations and Water Use of Mediterranean Ornamental Shrubs in Containers

Department of Plant Sciencies and Microbiology, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Orihuela

Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Agroambientali

Journal of Horticultural Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

A detailed, species-specific comprehension of plant water behavior can be a central tool to improve water management in nursery production and irrigated...

N. oleander		L. japonicum		P. tobira

SWT	% C.C.	SWT	% C.C.	SWT	% C.C.
8	100	18	100	23	100
26	89.5	35	90.7	41	90.7
46	78.8	41	85.6	65	85.6
78	69.6	65	76.1	90	76.1
117	59.8	101	65.3	135	65.3

Hydraulic Relations and Water Use of Mediterranean Ornamental Shrubs in Containers

Published Online: Jun 30, 2020

Page range: 49 - 56

Received: Feb 01, 2020

Accepted: May 01, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/johr-2020-0009

Keywords
gas exchange, hydric behavior, Mediterranean shrubs, water stress, water use

© 2020 Paolo Zuccarini et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

Substrate water tension (SWT) versus percentage of container capacity for the three investigated species

Hydraulic Relations and Water Use of Mediterranean Ornamental Shrubs in Containers

Published Online: Jun 30, 2020

Page range: 49 - 56

Received: Feb 01, 2020

Accepted: May 01, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/johr-2020-0009

Keywordsgas exchange, hydric behavior, Mediterranean shrubs, water stress, water use

© 2020 Paolo Zuccarini et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

Substrate water tension (SWT) versus percentage of container capacity for the three investigated species

Keywords
gas exchange, hydric behavior, Mediterranean shrubs, water stress, water use