2016 Volume 78 Issue 1 Pages 73-79
The objective of the present study was to develop a device that will enable quick and simple measurement of water stress of the Satsuma mandarin (Citrus Unshiu Marcow), in order to improve appropriate irrigation, which is necessary for the stable production of high-quality fruit. By adopting a method of estimating water potential from the Young’s modulus of leaves to serve as an index for water stress, we developed a portable device for measuring water status of Satsuma mandarin trees that can be used to take measurements of the Young’s modulus easily at the cultivation site. The developed device performs measurement operations automatically, and by using the Young’s modulus to estimate the water potential information on water status of the tree is obtained. The results of performance testing showed that the Young’s modulus and the water potential measured by the pressure chamber had a correlation coefficient of 0.81.
