Physiological Aspects of the Control of Water Status in Horticultural Crops

Abstract

Plant water status is arguably the single most-important factor that must be controlled to obtain high yields of good-quality horticultural produce. A clear understanding of how water deficits affect crops and of the natural adaptive processes by which different species respond to limited water availability should enable us to optimize management procedures (e.g., how and when to irrigate) and to breed better cultivars for particular conditions.