Canopy-cooling systems applied on avocado trees to mitigate heatwaves damages.

With climate change, spring heatwaves have become frequent in the Mediterranean region. High temperatures combined with wind and low humidity are problematic for subtropical crops adapted to high humidity and mild climate. Avocado is a valuable crop-nutritionally and economically-and many new orchards are planted in Mediterranean areas.

Early Detection of Grapevine () Downy Mildew () and Diurnal Variations Using Thermal Imaging.

Agricultural industry is facing a serious threat from plant diseases that cause production and economic losses. Early information on disease development can improve disease control using suitable management strategies. This study sought to detect downy mildew () on grapevine () leaves at early stages of development using thermal imaging technology and to determine the best time during the day for image acquisition.

Expression of Arabidopsis Hexokinase in Citrus Guard Cells Controls Stomatal Aperture and Reduces Transpiration.

Hexokinase (HXK) is a sugar-phosphorylating enzyme involved in sugar-sensing. It has recently been shown that HXK in guard cells mediates stomatal closure and coordinates photosynthesis with transpiration in the annual species tomato and Arabidopsis. To examine the role of HXK in the control of the stomatal movement of perennial plants, we generated citrus plants that express Arabidopsis HXK1 (AtHXK1) under KST1, a guard cell-specific promoter.

Relationship between hexokinase and the aquaporin PIP1 in the regulation of photosynthesis and plant growth.

Increased expression of the aquaporin NtAQP1, which is known to function as a plasmalemma channel for CO₂ and water, increases the rate of both photosynthesis and transpiration. In contrast, increased expression of Arabidopsis hexokinase1 (AtHXK1), a dual-function enzyme that mediates sugar sensing, decreases the expression of photosynthetic genes and the rate of transpiration and inhibits growth. Here, we show that AtHXK1 also decreases root and stem hydraulic conductivity and leaf mesophyll CO₂ conductance (g(m)).

Water Productivity Mapping (WPM) Using Landsat ETM+ Data for the Irrigated Croplands of the Syrdarya River Basin in Central Asia.

The overarching goal of this paper was to espouse methods and protocols for water productivity mapping (WPM) using high spatial resolution Landsat remote sensing data. In a world where land and water for agriculture are becoming increasingly scarce, growing "more crop per drop" (increasing water productivity) becomes crucial for food security of future generations. The study used time-series Landsat ETM+ data to produce WPMs of irrigated crops, with emphasis on cotton in the Galaba study area in the Syrdarya river basin of Central Asia.

Factors affecting the distribution of a predatory mite on greenhouse sweet pepper.

The predatory mite Neoseiulus cucumeris is used for biological control of phytophagous mites and thrips on greenhouse cucumber and sweet pepper. In a previous study, N. cucumeris provided effective control of broad mite but was only rarely found on the sampled leaves, raising questions about the factors affecting N.