首页|The Macadamia bloom - What are the hydrological implications?
The Macadamia bloom - What are the hydrological implications?
扫码查看
点击上方二维码区域，可以放大扫码查看
原文链接
NSTL
Elsevier
Growing macadamia nut trees continues to gain popularity due to the delicacy and nutritional value associated with the nuts. These evergreen trees are grown in areas where rainfall quantity and distribution is often inadequate to sustain optimum yields. As a result, irrigation is often required to meet demands and achieve maximum profits. However, there is little detail on the minimum volume of water required during different growth stages to obtain optimal yields. This paper reviews existing studies on the plant-water relations of macadamia nut trees from the perspective of understanding their impacts on water resources. Macadamia trees have been found to use an average 75 L tree-1 day-1 in Australia, while values range between 4 and 71 L tree-1 day-1 for trees grown in South Africa. Macadamia trees are characterised by strict stomatal control, enabling them to maintain a favourable water status for prolonged periods under water stressed conditions. However, stress during the premature nut drop and oil accumulation stages decreases yield and quality. On the other hand, imposing stress at floral initiation increases yield. Therefore, stress manipulation may be a useful management tool for improved water use efficiency in commercial orchards. This requires accurate measurements of the thresholds for the maximum stress and minimum water required at these critical stages. Yield response to irrigation has been difficult to determine with confidence. Due to the cyclical nature of macadamia yields, it has been recommended that a minimum of five years is required to establish a relationship between water use and yield. There has been a limited amount of work done on the impacts of macadamia production on water resources and financial constraints are likely to limit this in the future. However, based on the rapid development of commercial macadamia orchards, future water-related research needs to consider macadamia production beyond tree and orchard scales, viewing macadamia as part of a socioecological system where orchard water use may impact on the availability and quality of water for other users, including the environment.
MacadamiaWater useHydrological impactsWater use efficiencyResilience
NSTL
Elsevier
