Guest Editors
Dr. Antonio Santos-Rufo,Agroforestry Science Department, University of Huelva, Huelva, 21071, SPAIN
Dr. Carlos M. Weiland Ardaiz, Agroforestry Science Department, University of Huelva, Huelva, 21071, SPAIN
Dr. Pedro Palencia Garcia, Department of Organisms and System Biology, Polytechnic School of Mieres, Oviedo University, Mieres, 33600, SPAIN
Summary
Berries are commercially important crops, due to the well-known nutritional and beneficial health effects of red fruits. Their cultivation has been continuously expanded year by year worldwide. However, berry propagation presents some drawbacks, such as, due to its root architecture composed mainly of fine roots in the case of propagation with semi-hardwood cutting in Blueberry, or the slow and uneven germination of blackberry seeds due, among other factors, to its deep dormancy. These plant or seed characteristics make that berry grow under certain special conditions of soil moisture, permeability, and pH, and they also justify the generally low percentage of adventitious rooting or seed germination. Thus, successful plant/seed propagation has become a concern in recent years, and it has been demonstrated that the rooting/germination success in berries is still low compared to other species with similar economic importance.
As well, sustainable and efficient management of water resources used in these crops is necessary, especially in strawberries. To water this crop well, it is necessary to: 1) know its water needs (how much to water), 2) know the operation and potential of the irrigation system (how to water) and 3) carry out adequate irrigation programming (when to water). Therefore, any irrigation management model based on rational criteria must consider these three aspects together. To calculate the water needs of the crop, the most widely accepted and used methodology is that developed by the FAO. Thus, in the context of promoting efficient and sustainable crop production systems, that require less inputs and biodegradable wastes and do not compromise productivity and quality, we present this Special Issue to provide insights into the mentioned areas.
Keywords
acid and enzymatic hydrolysis; anatomy, phenolic content, rhizogenesis, vegetative propagation, smart fertigation, sap flow, starch, total sugar, α- and β-amylases
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