Effects of different levels of water stress on yield and quality of lemon trees

Three levels of water stress were caused by using the 'forzatura' technique to determine it effects on summer and winter crops. In surruner fruits about to be harvested when the stres occurred, high percentage of drop was noticed after the resumption of irrigation in th most stressed treatment. Fruit drop was also observed in winter crop, and yield in the mos severely stressed treatment was lower. In the new surruner crop obtained under wate stress, the number of flowers/m' was clearly higher in the most stressed treatmenl indicating a relationship between the severity of stress and the flowering response. Frui set, on the other hand, was very low, so that no difference in yield was observed.