APMed (hAPpyMed
)
Apple and Peach in Mediterranean orchards –
Integrating tree water status and irrigation
management for coping with water scarcity and
aphid control
ARIMNET meeting – Roma, Italy – November 14 , 2012
APMed – Context – Teams - Topics and WPs
Context and choices
1 - Water scarcity: most studies on annuals (yield… molecular)
 Perennials: effects in the same year AND in the following years.
 Fruit tree: fruit quality AND regularity of bearing.
Apple and Peach.
The economic point of view: trend towards high added-value in
terms of price evolution in past years (FAO stats):
2000-2006 -> 2009: 100 -> 138 (Apple) / 146 (Peach)
100 -> 94 (Olive)
 The technical and scientific points of view: strong interlacing
between vegetative and fruit compartments, and phenology
-> several levers
1) fruit load, number of shoots/tree to alleviate water stress (eg,
fruit thinning, pruning)
2) Irrigation scheduling depending on the phenological stage
APMed – Context – Teams - Topics and WPs
Context and choices
2 - Water affects fruit and shoot growth
= It affects the water and nutrient status of all plant organs
 To what extent does it affect pest infestation?
Controversies in the literature: Aphid performance is affected either
positively or negatively … or not at all.
- Slow-growing and stressed plants are less infested –
1) because of more resources available for defense. Growth Differentiation Balance
Hypothesis (GDBH).
NB: But no rel. between water availability and phenol concentration in organs.
2) pests feed on actively growing organs because of turgescent organs. Plant vigor
Hypothesis (PVH)
Suckers
- Slow-growing and stressed plants are more infested –
Pests feed on low-vigor plants because of higher concentration of nutrients. Plant Stress
Chewing insects
Hypothesis (PSH)
 Aphids on Apple and Peach
 Scientific premise: aphids as competing sinks
 Innovative point: infestation dynamics may be affected by the water
management strategy
APMed – Context – Teams - Topics and WPs
France: INRA Avignon
MO Jordan, MH Sauge, G Vercambre, F Lescourret
France: INRA Montpellier
PE Lauri, E Costes, JL Regnard
Spain: IRTA Lerida
J Girona & team
Italy: University of Bologna
L Correlli-Grappadelli & team
Morocco: INRA Kenitra
S Charif
Morocco: INRA, ENA and University Meknès
A Blenzar, A Kajji, A Boutaleb
Israel: MIGAL-Northern R&D
A Naor, H Reuvny
APMed – Context – Teams - Topics and WPs
Topics and WPs – general outlines
WP1
Genetic variability
to water restriction
WP2
Tree – aphids
interactions
WP4
Modelling
Integrating
knowledge in FSPM
WP3
Water management
in the orchard
APMed – Context – Teams - Topics and WPs
Topics and WPs – WP1
WP1
Genetic variability
to water restriction
Exploring the range of adaptations to drought observed among Apple progenies,
focusing on growth, and leaf and stem ecophysiology.
WP leader – Pierre-Eric Lauri – INRA Montpellier, France.
Partners: Luca Corelli-Grappadelli – University of Bologna, Italy.
- First, to analyze across a range of genotypes without interference with fruit load the
range of variations of leaf ecophysiology and xylem hydraulic traits.
- Second, to analyze how these traits simultaneously interact with shoot morphology
and leaf development to increase tolerance to soil water restriction.
- Towards morphological and ecophysiological criteria to integrate in selection
schemes + comparisons with the adult tree (methodology).
APMed – Context – Teams - Topics and WPs
Topics and WPs – WP2
WP2
Tree – aphids
interactions
Impact of water availability on aphid infestation in relation to (i) shoot and fruit growth, and
(ii) plant water and nutrient status, on Apple and Peach.
WP leader – Marie-Odile Jordan - INRA Avignon, France.
Partners: Morocco - Abdelali Blenzar, University of Sciences, Meknes - Moulay Chrif Smaili,
INRA Kenitra; Israel - Haim Reuveny, Northern R&D/MIGAL.
- First, to analyze aphid population dynamics in various water management contexts thanks to
surveys conducted in commercial orchards.
- Second, to estimate the phloem sap composition and availability for the aphid on young
potted trees in relation to the competing fruit sink (stylectomy and biochemical analysis).
- Third, to evaluate the relative effect of plant growth and nutrient status on plant resistance to
aphids in relation to water management.
APMed – Context – Teams - Topics and WPs
Topics and WPs – WP3
Improvements of water and N management techniques according to their ability to maintain
high quality of fruit production and reducing aphid infestations on Apple and Peach.
WP leader – Luca Corelli-Grappadelli – University of Bologna, Italy.
Partners: Israel - Amos Naor, MIGAL; Morocco - Bniken Lhou, INRA Kenitra - Abdellah Kajji,
ENA Meknes; France - Pierre-Eric Lauri, INRA Montpellier, with sub-contractants: Bruno
Hucbourg, GRCETA, and Xavier Crété, CEHM.
Around the Regulated Deficit Irrigation (RDI) concept.
- First, tree growth and fruiting under various degrees of water restriction, and management
techniques (crop load, orchard light conditioning, nitrogen fertilization), and taking into
account the phenological stage -> thresholds to manage irrigation.
- Second, comparison between one-year-old shoots and adult trees.
WP3
Water management
in the orchard
APMed – Context – Teams - Topics and WPs
Topics and WPs – WP4
Modelling water and N management techniques according to their ability to maintain
high quality of fruit production and reducing aphid infestations on Apple and Peach.
WP leader – Joan Girona – IRTA, Spain.
Partners: France - Evelyne Costes, Françoise Lescourret, Gilles Vercambre, INRA. All WPs.
- Challenge: to bridge various modelling approaches based on metabolic compartment
(fruit, shoot) and on plant architecture (MappleT, L-Peach).
- To implement the various modules (water transport and nutritional processes, aphid
infestation responses etc.) in the existing models = to integrate knowledge developed
during the programme, and to validate and assess their interests.
- Post-Doc recruited in the APMed (ca. 20 months).
WP4
Integrating
knowledge in FSPM
Modelling
=
+
+
APMed – Context – Teams - Topics and WPs
Relation
between plant
tolerance to
water stress
and resistance
to aphid?
MTA between
Montpellier
and Bologna
underway
Comparison
between pot and
field experiments
Comparison between
young shoots (hybrid
selection) and adult trees
APMed – Context – Teams - Topics and WPs - Facts
 Programme launched on April 1, 2012
 Kick-Off meeting, Montpellier, France, 15-18 October 2012
 Three missions during 2012:
WP2, April 2012, to Morocco: Marie-Odile Jordan and
Marie-Hélène Sauge (France).
Whole programme, May 2012, to Morocco: Luca
Corelli- Grappadelli (Italy), Joan Girona and Gerardo
Lopez (Spain), Pierre-Eric Lauri (France).
WP2, June 2012, to Israel: Marie-Odile Jordan (France).
 Finances: 2012 installment during the autumn for all
countries.
 Consortium agreement: in progress…
KOM – Peach Orchard near Montpellier – 17 October, 2012