Fruit tree ecophysiology with particular focus to:
1) Study of the physiological processes (leaf gas exchanges, water relations, vascular flows, fruit growth) at the basis of yield and quality of the producton;
2) Plant-environment relations and effects of the various abiotic stresses (drought, heat, excessive light) on fruit quality and tree productivity;
3) Traditional and precision horticulture strategies aimed at: i) optimizing source/sink relationship; ii) mitigating the effects of abiotic stress and climate change; iii)improving the orchard resource use efficiency (with special focus on water).
4) Development and use of plant-based sensors for monitoring plant physiological status and their implementation in decision support systems.
Species: peach, cherry and apricot; apple and pear; actinidia; berries
