Abstract
Abstract. Olive trees (Olea europaea L.) are commonly grown in the Mediterranean basin where prolonged droughts may occur during the vegetative period. This species has developed a series of physiological mechanisms, that can be observed in several plants of the Mediterranean macchia, to tolerate drought stress and grow under adverse climatic conditions. These mechanisms have been investigated through an experimental campaign carried out over both irrigated and drought-stressed plants in order to comprehend the plant response under stressed conditions and its ability to recover. Experimental results show that olive plants subjected to water deficit lower the water content and water potentials of their tissues, establishing a particularly high potential gradient between leaves and roots, and stop canopy growth but not photosynthetic activity and transpiration. This allows the continuous production of assimilates as well as their accumulation in the various plant parts, so creating a higher root/leaf ratio if compared to well-watered plants. Active and passive osmotic adjustment due to the accumulation of carbohydrates (in particular mannitol and glucose), proline and other osmolytes have key roles in maintaining cell turgor and leaf activities. At severe drought-stress levels, the non-stomatal component of photosynthesis is inhibited and a light-dependent inactivation of the photosystem II occurs. Finally, the activities of some antioxidant enzymes involved in the scavenging of activated oxygen species and in other biochemical pathways increase during a period of drought. The present paper provides an overview of the driving mechanisms adopted by olive trees to face drought stress with the aim of better understanding plant-soil interactions.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Under water deficit, olive plants lower the water content and water potentials of their tissues, creating a high potential gradient between leaves and roots.
- Taxon
- olive plants
Olea europaeae0 - Treatment
- water deficite0
- Outcome
- water content and water potentialse0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Qualifier
- establishing a particularly high potential gradient between leaves and rootse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“olive plants subjected to water deficit lower the water content and water potentials of their tissues, establishing a particularly high potential gradient between leaves and roots”
Claim · model-written summary
Under water deficit, olive plants stop canopy growth.
- Taxon
- olive plantsOlea europaeae2
- Treatment
- water deficite2
- Outcome
- canopy growthe0
- Direction
- stope0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“and stop canopy growth but not photosynthetic activity and transpiration”
e2“olive plants subjected to water deficit”
Claim · model-written summary
Under water deficit, olive plants do not stop photosynthetic activity and transpiration.
- Taxon
- olive plantsOlea europaeae2
- Treatment
- water deficite2
- Outcome
- photosynthetic activity and transpiratione0
- Direction
- no_changeinferrede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“but not photosynthetic activity and transpiration”
e2“olive plants subjected to water deficit”
Claim · model-written summary
Under water deficit, olive plants continuously produce assimilates and accumulate them in the various plant parts.
- Taxon
- olive plantsOlea europaeae2
- Treatment
- water deficite2
- Outcome
- continuous production of assimilatese3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e3“This allows the continuous production of assimilates as well as their accumulation in the various plant parts”
e2“olive plants subjected to water deficit”
Claim · model-written summary
Under water deficit, olive plants develop a higher root/leaf ratio than well-watered plants.
- Taxon
- olive plantsOlea europaeae2
- Treatment
- water deficite2
- Outcome
- root/leaf ratioe4
- Direction
- highere4
- Comparator
- well-watered plantse4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“so creating a higher root/leaf ratio if compared to well-watered plants”
e2“olive plants subjected to water deficit”
Claim · model-written summary
Active and passive osmotic adjustment from accumulated mannitol, glucose and proline is key to maintaining cell turgor and leaf activity in olive trees.
- Taxon
- Olive treesOlea europaeae1
- Compound
- mannitol and glucosee5
- Outcome
- maintaining cell turgor and leaf activitiese5
- Qualifier
- Active and passive osmotic adjustmente5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“Active and passive osmotic adjustment due to the accumulation of carbohydrates (in particular mannitol and glucose), proline and other osmolytes have key roles in maintaining cell turgor and leaf activities”
e1“Olive trees (Olea europaea L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
At severe drought stress, the non-stomatal component of photosynthesis in olive trees is inhibited.
- Taxon
- Olive treesOlea europaeae1
- Treatment
- severe drought-stress levelse6
- Outcome
- non-stomatal component of photosynthesise6
- Direction
- inhibitede6
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e6“At severe drought-stress levels, the non-stomatal component of photosynthesis is inhibited”
e1“Olive trees (Olea europaea L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
At severe drought stress, photosystem II in olive trees undergoes light-dependent inactivation.
- Taxon
- Olive treesOlea europaeae1
- Treatment
- severe drought-stress levelse6
- Outcome
- photosystem IIe6
- Direction
- inactivatione6
- Qualifier
- light-dependente6
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e6“At severe drought-stress levels, the non-stomatal component of photosynthesis is inhibited and a light-dependent inactivation of the photosystem II occurs”
e1“Olive trees (Olea europaea L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
During drought, the activities of some antioxidant enzymes in olive trees increase.
- Taxon
- Olive treesOlea europaeae1
- Treatment
- a period of droughte7
- Outcome
- activities of some antioxidant enzymese7
- Direction
- increasee7
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“the activities of some antioxidant enzymes involved in the scavenging of activated oxygen species and in other biochemical pathways increase during a period of drought”
e1“Olive trees (Olea europaea L.)”
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drought · physiology: photosynthesis · Olea europaea (common olive)Results differ
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See all 19 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.