ASHS 2024 Conference

In many tropical fruit production areas, including southern Florida, a rise in ocean levels resulting from climate change is anticipated to lead to greater inland intrusion of saltwater, thereby increasing salinity of the soil and/or irrigation water. Thus, knowing the salinity level of the soil or irrigation water that negatively impacts tropical fruit crops, including papaya, is important to alleviate salinity-induced damage to these crops. A study was conducted to evaluate physiological and growth responses of two papaya (Carica papaya L.) cultivars grown commercially in Florida (‘Red Lady’ and ‘Exp15’) to different irrigation salinity levels. Papaya seedlings were transplanted into 11.4-liter pots with Krome very gravelly loam soil; a calcareous soil collected from the papaya production area in south Florida. Each plant was manually irrigated three times per week with 1 liter of deionized water containing different concentrations artificial sea salt (Instant Ocean®) to obtain 4 salinity levels based on electrical conductivity (EC) of the irrigation water i.e., 0 (control), 3, 6, and 9 dS/m. Plants performance under different salinity levels was evaluated by determining net CO2 assimilation (A), stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration (E), the leaf chlorophyll index (LCI), and the ratio of variable to maximum chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm) on a weekly basis throughout the study. Normalized difference vegetation Index (NDVI) values derived from multispectral images were also collected weekly. After seven weeks, plants were harvested and leaf relative water content (RWC), leaf water potential, leaf area, and leaf, stem, and root dry weights were determined for all plants. Five weeks after treatments were initiated, for both cultivars, plants in the 6 and 9 dS/m treatments had lower A, E, gs, LCI, and Fv/Fm than plants in the other treatments. At the end of the experiment, plants in the 3, 6, and 9 dS/m treatments had significantly lower A, E, gs, LCI, Fv/Fm, leaf water potential, leaf area, and leaf, stem, and root dry weights than plants in the other treatments. Also at the end of the experiment, ‘Exp15’ plants in the 9 dS/m treatment had lower NDVI values than plants in the other treatments, whereas there was no difference in NDVI among treatments for ‘Red Lady’. There was no significant effect of salinity treatment on RWC. The findings suggest that 'Red Lady' and ‘Exp15’ papaya plants are unable to withstand salinity levels of 3 dS/m or higher in the calcareous agricultural soil of southern Florida.

Achachairu (Garcinia humilis (Vahl) C.D. Adams) is a slow-growing tropical fruit tree indigenous to the Amazonian forests in Bolivia. Each tree can produce over 15,000 fruit (400 kg/tree) harvested from cultivated and wild trees. It has significant horticultural potential because the fruit is considered delicious by many people who have tasted it. Thus, its commercial cultivation has extended to Brazil, Mexico, and Australia. The responses and tolerance of this species to abiotic stresses and the use of chemical priming to mitigate stress have never been reported. The study investigated the physiological, biochemical, and morphological responses to flooding and salinity, and the priming with 24-epibrassinolide (EB) to increase flooding and salinity tolerance of G. humilis. Three-year-old achachairu seedlings were used in several sequential experiments, including applying flooding, salinity, and EB priming in different combinations and durations. Physiological variables including leaf gas exchange [net CO2 assimilation (A), stomatal conductance of H2O (gs), and intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci)], leaf chlorophyll index (LCI), and the ratio of variable to maximum chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm) were measured. Leaf and root nutrient concentrations, antioxidant responses, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and lipid peroxidation (MDA) were also measured. Results showed that G. humilis is very tolerant of prolonged flooding of up to 30 d, medium levels of salinity of up to 6 dSm-1, and the combined effect of flooding and salinity. Tolerance to these stresses was exhibited by physiological, biochemical, and morphological responses, consistent with tolerance traits, such as maintaining basal levels of photosynthesis, ion homeostasis, and nutrient balances, robust antioxidant responses to counter ROS increases, and limited lipid peroxidation, all of which may help limit physiological damage. Application of 1.0 mg L-1 EB as a foliar and root-drench before flooding or salinity treatments increased the levels of tolerance of G. humilis to salinity and flooding, most likely by reinforcing antioxidant responses which helped decrease ROS and lipid peroxidation.

Soil salinity poses a significant challenge in agriculture, disrupting the normal functioning of plants by reducing water and nutrient uptake. Olive trees (Olea europaea), common in Mediterranean regions, exhibit moderate to high tolerance to salinity, varying by cultivar. Interest in cultivating olive trees is growing in Florida’s coastal areas, characterized by poorly drained soil and low-quality groundwater, leading to salt accumulation in the root zone. The high salinity levels in these areas present a significant challenge for crop cultivation. Therefore, introducing new salt-tolerant cultivars is necessary to mitigate salinity stress. This study aimed to evaluate the plant physiological and root anatomical responses of two novel olive cultivars - ‘Oliana’ and ‘Lecciana’ - to salinity stress, assessing their salt tolerance. Eight-month-old plants were grown in pots using a sand medium under greenhouse conditions and treated with varying salt concentrations (0 mM, 50 mM, and 100 mM). The experiment followed a completely randomized design with three replications, each consisting of nine plants. Plants were irrigated at weekly intervals with half-strength Hoagland solution to meet their nutrient requirements. Height and trunk diameter were measured at four different time points (0, 15, 30, and 45 days). At the end of the trial, plants were destructively sampled for biomass, nutrient content, and root anatomical measurements at the latter three time points. Significant differences were observed in height, trunk diameter, and nutrient contents between the control and NaCl treatments. These findings serve as a baseline for the commercial development of salt-tolerant olive cultivars.

Water scarcity is challenging agricultural production, demanding more precise and efficient irrigation management. Plant-based continuous monitoring has emerged as a promising approach for detecting water stress progression and optimizing irrigation. However, its practical implementation is hindered by the complex interpretation of the sensors’ outputs and plant physiological status relationships. Plant water potential is among the most robust water status indicators and is widely used for irrigation management. Nevertheless, its measurement is time-consuming and requires skilled personnel, making it difficult to have frequent assessments. In this study, we explored the potential of using continuous water potential sensing to quantify olive water status and its response to irrigation. Specifically, we compared continuous and discrete tree-level measurements of water status using microtensiometers and the pressure chamber, respectively. The microtensiometers proved effective in capturing tree water status dynamics, enabling a prompt assessment of the impact of irrigation practices. Preliminary analyses show a good linear correlation between midday trunk and stem water potential values obtained with microtensiometers and the pressure chamber, with the former being less than 0.5 MPa lower, a difference that could be attributed to the specific measurement of each technique. Importantly, having continuous data allows the extrapolation of several water status parameters which can provide key information in addition to the single timepoint midday values. Overall, this study suggests microtensiometers can be a useful tool to optimize water application in olive orchards.

Phosphorus (P) deficiency in plants causes detrimental effects on their growth and development, as P is a key macronutrient used in various physiological, biochemical and cell signaling processes. Research has shown that P-deficient plants exhibit several symptoms such as changes in leaf coloration, root morphology, and plant growth. However, many of those studies ignore gas exchange parameters. In this research, we studied the connection between P-deficiency and carbon (C) gain and loss in southern highbush blueberry (SHB, Vaccinium corymbosum interspecific hybrids) young plants to estimate the C cost of P-deficiency. The experiment was conducted using a hydroponic system where three-month old plants of ‘Farthing’ and ‘Keecrisp’ varieties grew in individual 2-L reservoirs filled with continuously-aerated complete nutrient solution containing 15 mg/L P during a 35-day acclimation period. After the acclimation period, plants were separated into two groups and continued to grow for 56 more days (treatment period). One group ( P) was grown in the complete nutrient solution, while the second group (-P) was grown in a P-free nutrient solution (0 mg/L P). We designed and tested a whole-plant gas exchange system that utilizes two infrared gas analyzers (CIRAS-3 and CIRAS-4) to simultaneously measure root system respiration and whole-plant C assimilation. Additionally, we measured root C exudation, fresh and dry mass accumulation, and P concentration and content. We induced P-deficiency as -P plants of both varieties had mature and young leaf P concentration below 0.12% (reference deficiency level). P plants had higher P concentration after treatment period. -P ‘Farthing’ plants had 89% less daily C assimilation than P plants, while no differences were observed in ‘Keecrisp’. Daily root respiration and C exudation, considered as ways of C loss, were, 3.5 and 2.9 times higher in -P than in P plants of ‘Farthing’. Similarly, -P ‘Keecrisp’ plants had 3.8 and 2.5 times more daily root respiration and C exudation compared to those under P. Ultimately, P deficiency caused a 136% reduction in daily C gain of ‘Farthing’ plants, while there were no differences between treatments in ‘Keecrisp’ plants. Our findings suggest that responses to P deficiency in SHB are genotype-specific, and that C budget and distribution in the plant play an important role in the responses to P-deficiency.

The interactions between plants and their soil environment influence overall soil system health. Soil provides plants with the structural support, water, nutrients, and microbial interactions they need for creating biomass and for reproduction. Conventional agriculture practices degrade soil; however, small plots of native plants within agricultural settings have been shown to provide disproportionally large benefits to both ecological and agricultural landscapes. In other words, even small plots of native plants can improve soil health. Although small plots of mixed native plant species improve soil health, they offer little in the way of income opportunities for producers through seed collection and sales. However, plots of native monocultures may offer producers an opportunity to harvest and sell seeds, taking advantage of the increasing demands of the native seed market while also increasing soil health. Therefore, this study's objective is to quantify the effects of small native plant monocultures on soil health and compare them to soil health from conventional crop plots. We investigated biological indicators of soil health such as organic matter, organic carbon, and microbial communities as well as abiotic indicators like nutrient composition. We hypothesize that, compared to crop plots, native monoculture plots will have more microbial diversity and higher amounts of soil nutrients. We tested our hypothesis by comparing soil health characteristics from plots containing five established native monocultures: Dalea candida, Agastache nepetoides, Glycyrrhiza lepidota, Liatris ligulistylis, and Tradescantia occidentalis; and one crop plot planted with a corn and soybean rotation. During the second and third season of growth, monthly soil samples were taken, and soil indicator values were compared using Tukey’s HSD post hoc tests after performing an analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results suggest that native plant species influenced soil health differently than crop rotations after three seasons of growth. Compared to crop plots, soil samples from two species of native plants, Agastache nepetoides and Tradescantia occidentalis, had higher fungi-to-bacteria ratios (p = 0.0160 and p < 0.0001, respectively), and higher amounts of saprophyte biomass (p = 0.0040 and p = 0.0484, respectively). Soils from the Agastache nepetoides plots also had higher amounts of Pre18 cyclo fatty acids (p = 0.0022) and potassium (p = 0.0159). These two species of native plants show potential for improving soil health after three years of establishment. Adding these two native monocultures to marginal production land may add soil health benefits during early establishment periods while providing a marketable crop for producers.