MODELLING THE CUMULATIVE EFFECTS OF MICROCLIMATE IN AN ...

[Pages:6]Scientific Papers. Series B, Horticulture. Vol. LXIV, No. 1, 2020 Print ISSN 2285-5653, CD-ROM ISSN 2285-5661, Online ISSN 2286-1580, ISSN-L 2285-5653

MODELLING THE CUMULATIVE EFFECTS OF MICROCLIMATE IN AN INTENSIVE APPLE ORCHARD BASED ON MICROMETEOROLOGICAL MEASUREMENTS

Zsolt JAKAB-ILYEFALVI

Fruit Research & Development Station Bistrita, 3 Drumul Dumitrei Nou, Bistrita, Romania

Corresponding author email: zsolt.jakab@

Abstract

The study of specific microclimate in apple fruit orchards is very important, thus micrometeorological measurements give valuable information on how the plants will react on different weather changes. Modelling the variations of environmental factors in apple orchard, specialist can give directions on critical periods and points when is an urgent demand of technological intervention (irrigation and other orchard management). In the plant-air interaction system critical parameters such as air maximum and minimum temperature, relative humidity, rainfall directly influences the crop physiological responses. A series of micrometeorological parameters were evaluated in an intensive apple orchard in Northern Transylvania, Bistrita fruit region from Romania with the objective of defining the interactions between trees and the aerial environment. An important objective was the study of daily meteorological observations in the flowering period in spring with implications on floral development and specific summer drought periods.

Key words: micrometeorology, environment, plant-air system, flowering, drought period.

INTRODUCTION

effect of water deficit (Paltineanu et al., 2008,

2011) in Romania. Objective of the present

Micrometeorology deals with measurements study was the accurate modelling of the main

and observations in small scale and time, micrometeorological factors like average,

smaller than 1 km and occur at the bottom of minimum, maximum temperatures, relative

the atmospheric layer close to the earth surface. humidity, rainfall and those impact in the last

It shows primary interactions of low exchange three years (2017-2019) in an intensive apple

processes between plants, water, land orchard in Bistrita fruit region, Northern

atmosphere, radiant energy. Microclimatology Transylvania, Romania.

and agrometeorology measurements thus give

valuable information on plant-microclimate MATERIALS AND METHODS

interaction. In fruit growing is essential the

study of these parameters including air tempe- The micrometeorological observations were

rature (minimum, maximum), air relative effectuated at FRDS Bistrita, in an intensive

humidity, rainfall, sunshine hours and solar apple orchard planted with Romanian bred -

irradiance, wind. Knowledge of these factors cultivars Auriu de Bistrita, Aura, Generos

are crucial in plant protection (Cristian M.F., grafted on M26 and M9 rootstock. Main

2019), irrigation scheduling, water uptake, micrometeorological parameters were

evapotranspiraton, breeding, physiology. The registered by Adcon Telemetry weather station.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change- The orchard was planted on a clay-loamy site,

IPCC Special Report on Global Warming well drained, with specific thermal and rainfall

showed an increase of 1.5?C in Europe, for conditions. The microclimatological data

Romania it is estimated an increase of 0.5- acquisition was effectuated at 2.0 m height,

1.5?C also, for the period 2020-2029. Several experimental period was the last 3 years (2017-

researchers studied the effect of temperatures in 2019). Data were registered every 15 minutes,

tree phenology in Europe (Chmielewski, 2001, downloaded, respectively analysed by MS

2002, 2005), the negative influence of drought Office Excel package.

periods (Mateescu, 2012; Sandu, 2010) and the

129

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

The aim of the study was the presentation of daily, monthly and yearly fluctuations of main micrometeorological parameters, these factors being characteristic to local conditions of Bistrita fruit production region from Northern Transylvania, Romania, which influenced the physiology of apple orchards between 20172019. Global climatological parameters showed, that the yearly average values had a clear increasing tendency (Fig. 1), when average values of the experimental years (10.8?C) were compared with the 9.6?C multiannual reference temperature (19932019). The calculated difference temperature was 1.2?C (Table 1) in agreement with the IPCC modelling for Europe and implicitly for Romania.

12,0

11,4

11,5 10,9

11,0

10,5

10,0

10,0

9,5

9,0

8,5

y = -0,5406x + 11,821 9,6 R? = 0,7049

Average

Liniar (Average)

We can observe that the minimum temperatures in 2017 and 2019 had close values, excepting year 2018 which had a higher average minimum temperature value (6.8?C). In the analysis of maximum temperatures (Fig. 3) it is shown a linear tendency of increasing of temperatures from 15.4?C to 17.1?C between 2017-2018, respectively from 15.4?C to 16.9?C in 2019. There are observed great fluctuations between the experimental years regarding the average maximum temperature parameter.

17,5 16,9 17,1 17,0

16,5

y = -0,754x + 17,988

16,0

R? = 0,8224 15,4

15,5

15,0

15,0

14,5

Average

14,0

13,5

Liniar

(Average)

Figure 3. Average maximum temperatures registered at micrometerological weather station FRDS Bistrita

Year 2019 Year 2018 Year 2017 Reference temperature (19932019)

Year 2019 Year 2018 Year 2017 Reference maximum temperature (1993-2019)

Figure 1. Average temperatures registered at micrometerological weather station FRDS Bistrita

Average minimum temperatures showed fluctuations in the last 3 years, the calculated difference was 1.3?C (Fig.2).

8,0

6,8

y = -0,4332x + 6,8375

7,0 5,8 6,0

5,6 4,8

R? = 0,4556

5,0

4,0

3,0

2,0

Average

1,0

0,0

Liniar

(Average)

However, when analysing average maximum temperatures in the studied interval (19932019), one can observe in overall, that there are differences of 1.5?C. Relative humidity fluctuations (Fig. 4) showed relatively close values, average being 73.9%.

75,5 75,0 74,5

75,1 73,9

y = 0,1159x + 73,424 R? = 0,0196

74,0

73,3

73,5 73,0

72,5

72,5 72,0

Average

71,5

71,0

Liniar

(Average)

Figure 4. Relative humidity registered at micrometerological weather station FRDS Bistrita

Year 2019 Year 2018 Year 2017 Reference minimum temperature (19932019)

Year 2019 Year 2018 Year 2017 Reference relative humidity (1993-2019)

Calculated relative humidity difference (Table

4) between reference relative humidity interval

Figure 2. Average minimum temperatures registered at micrometerological weather station FRDS Bistrita

and the studied period was slight, namely 0.6%. One of the most important micrometeorological

130

factor is the rainfall for the life of a fruit tree. Measurements showed (Fig. 5) a decreased tendency of rainfall when compared with the multiannual reference interval (756.9 mm).

1200,0 1000,0 800,0

968,7

744,8 753,9

756,9

600,0

400,0

200,0

0,0

y = 25,11x + 743,3 R? = 0,0892

Sum Liniar (Sum)

20,0 15,0 10,0 5,0 0,0 -5,0 -10,0 -15,0

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

VII

VIII

IX

X

XI

XII

Year 2019 Year 2018 Year 2017

Figure 7. Average monthly minimum temperatures registered at micrometerological weather station FRDS

Bistrita

The average monthly maximum temperatures (Fig. 8) in 2018 showed also a slight increase during April-June, being above the values from 2017-2018.

Year 2019 Year 2018 Year 2017 Reference rainfall (1993-2019)

I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII

Figure 5. Rainfall registered at micrometerological weather station FRDS Bistrita

One can observe however, a great rainfall quantity in 2017 (968.7 mm) which decreased in time to 744.8 mm in 2019, thus influencing dramatically the apple orchard. The drought period in summer influenced negatively the yield, the fruits weight and diameter. Monthly average temperatures (Fig. 6) showed in 2018 a slight increase, during April-June, but in 2017 and 2019 were registered close values regarding thermal fluctuations.

25,0 20,0 15,0 10,0 5,0 0,0 -5,0 -10,0

Year 2019 Year 2018 Year 2017

Figure 6. Average monthly temperatures registered at micrometerological weather station FRDS Bistrita

Monthly minimum temperatures (Fig. 7) showed also greater values during AprilAugust in 2018, the graph showing clearly the increasing tendency.

35,0

30,0

Year 2019

25,0

Year 2018

20,0

15,0

Year 2017

10,0

5,0

0,0

XII

XI

X

IX

VII

VI

V

IV

III

II

I

-5,0

VIII

Figure 8. Average monthly maximum temperatures registered at micrometerological weather station FRDS

Bistrita

Relative humidity fluctuations (Fig. 9) appeared in months April and May 2019, when compared with 2018-2017 period, showing higher values in the flowering period. Oppositely, during 2018, lower relative humidity values were registered in the same period, having a slight negative effect on the flowering of fruit trees.

100,0 80,0 60,0 40,0 20,0 0,0

Year 2019 Year 2018 Year 2017

Figure 9. Average monthly relative humidity fluctuations registered at micrometerological weather station FRDS

Bistrita

131

I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII

I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII

The registered rainfall (Fig. 10) showed also strong monthly variations, critical periods were June-July in 2019, causing drought in the most important physiological period of the year, namely the preparing of floral bud anthesis for the following year. The fruit growing during the same period (June-July) of summer was affected by the severe drought. Low rainfall values were registered also in SeptemberOctober causing severe drought, falling of fruits before harvest and again a lesser yield.

250,0 200,0 150,0 100,0

50,0 0,0

Year 2019 Year 2018 Year 2017

Figure 10. Average monthly rainfall fluctuations registered at micrometerological weather station FRDS

Bistrita

Heavy rainfall occurred in May 2019, the soil was fully saturated with precipitations, hail event was also registered in July 2019. The study of absolute minimum (Fig.11) temperature values showed low values in 2017 during winter ( -19.1?C) and a severe decrease of temperatures in March 2018 (-14?C), April 2017 (-4.0?C). Absolute minimum temperatures showed a relative constancy in April-May 2019 registering temperatures just slightly above 0?C.

Absolute maximum values showed clearly higher values in 2018 during April-May and June (Fig. 12).

Year 2019

40,0

35,0

Year 2018

30,0

Year 2017

25,0

20,0

15,0

10,0

5,0

0,0

Figure 12. Absolute maximum temperatures registered at micrometerological weather station FRDS Bistrita

Analysing fig. 13 one can observe that in the most important period of flowering, generally lower maximum temperatures were observed in 2019 when compared with 2018, starting from 09 March until 12 May, the past year being colder in the sprig period.

20,0 15,0 10,0 5,0 0,0 -5,0 -10,0 -15,0 -20,0

01.mar.19 15.mar.19 29.mar.19 12.apr.19 26.apr.19 10.mai.19 24.mai.19

Tmin March 2019

Tmin March 2018

Figure 13. Daily minimum and maximum temperatures in May registered at micrometerological weather station

FRDS Bistrita

20,0 15,0 10,0 5,0 0,0 -5,0 -10,0 -15,0 -20,0 -25,0

Year 2019 Year 2018 Year 2017 I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII

Figure 11. Absolute minimum temperatures registered at micrometerological weather station FRDS Bistrita

15,0 10,0

5,0 0,0 -5,0

12,1 11,2

10,1 9,0

6,7 5,6

3,4

2,0

0,6 1,3 0,0

1,0 0,4 0,3

-1,0 -1,0

Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

2019

2018

2017

Figure 14. Micrometeorological conditions in the flowering period (April 2017-2019) at FRDS Bistrita

132

Focusing on the flowering period (Fig.14) of apple cultivars one can observe that climate conditions were not optimum in 2017 (18-25 April), several days the meteorological weather station registered very low values between -1.0 and 1.3?C. Thus floral development was affected (Table 1) in 2017, with negative implications on fruit quality and quantity. Flowering period was longer with 1-2 days in 2019 when compared with 2018 at Auriu de Bistrita cultivar (Table 1). Studying the rainfall amount per month (Fig. 15) in the active vegetation period, we can observe that in August before harvesting the fruit yield in September, generally very low amount of precipitation was registered in 2017 and 2018, implications were crucial on fruit diameter, fruits were smaller and were not so crisp and turgescent (Table 1). Fig. 16 shows the sum of rainfall in the active vegetation period, in 2018 were just 458.7 mm registered when compared with 2017 and 2019 period (523.7 mm in 2017 and 510.4 mm in 2019).

250

228,8

200

182,7 171,6

150

121,2

100

59,6

50

66,8 56,4 31,6 20,7

48,5 52,6

101,2 85

97,4

58

57

41,7

12

0

March Apr May Iun

Iul

Aug

2017 2018 2019

Figure 15. Rainfall in the active vegetation period during 2017-2019 at FRDS Bistrita

540

523,7

520

500

480

460

440

458,7

510,4

Table. 1 Flowering and floral development of some

420

experimental cultivars during 2017-2019 at SCDP

2017

2018

2019

Bistrita

Cultivar/ Rootstock

Auriu de Bistrita2019 Auriu de Bistrita2018 Auriu de Bistrita2017

Flowering period (start date)

BBCH 57

18.04.19

16.04.18

17.04.17

Flowering period

(end date) BCH 69

02.05.19

30.04.18

01.05.17

Floral development

Abundant flowering

abundant flowering

slightly affected

Fruit diameter

(mm)

92

84

95

Aura-

Abundant

2019

18.04.19 02.05.19 flowering

84

Aura-

Abundant

2018

16.04.18 30.04.18 flowering

78

Aura-

slightly

2017

17.04.17 01.05.17 affected

82

Generos-

Abundant

2019

19.04.19 03.05.19 flowering

83

Generos-

Abundant

2018

17.04.19 01.05.19 flowering

82

Generos-

slightly

2017

18.04.17 02.05.17 affected

79

Figure 16. Sum of rainfall in the active vegetation period during 2017-2019

CONCLUSIONS

Investigations were effectuated in Northern Transylvania, Bistrita fruit region at Fruit Research and Development Station Bistrita during 2017-2019. Temperature (average, minimum, maximum, absolut minimum, absolut maximum), relative humidity, rainfall were registered in an intensive apple orchard at 2.0 m height. The micrometeorological parameters together, cumulatively influenced the physiology of apple orchard, causing different variations in yield, diameter of fruits, weight of the fruits. The research showed an overall tendency of average temperature increasing in the last 3 years (+1,2 C) when compared with the multiannual reference interval, according to IPCC simulation. We confirm that the IPCC modelling was correct, indeed the temperature increasing is real and shows a linear tendency, also at the maximum temperatures (+1.5 C).

133

Low minimum temperatures were observed in the flowering period in 2017, thus yield was affected by meteorological conditions. Temperatures fluctuated between -1.0 and 1.3?C in the flowering period in April, floral development was affected, thus pistils and anthers of flowers. In the colder flowering period bees also have not searched the flowers for pollination. This process begun again just after 26.04.2017 when temperatures increased above 12?C and meteorological conditions were better. At the other hand rainfall measurements showed low precipitation level in June and July in the study period, especially in 2018 and 2019, when drought conducted to curling of leaves and the trees suffered of water deficit. Fruit diameter was greatly affected in 2018, the low amount of precipitation in August conducted to smaller fruits due to lack of water, fruits were not crisp thus quality of apples were affected also. Thus, researches show the urgent necessity of irrigation in fruit orchards in the summer period also in Northern Transylvania, Romania.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This research work was carried out with the support of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, through Project ADER 7.3.12.

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